School starting – parking control stepped up and speed limits lowered

Helsinki has been stepping up the safety monitoring of pedestrian crossings at the start of school for approximately ten years now. However, related statistics have not shown any major positive development. Last year, more than 13,000 parking fines were handed out to cars parked less than five metres away from pedestrian crossings.

“Perhaps the intensive monitoring and campaigns have had some impact, as the previous year the figure was around 15,000. However, I believe that part of the reason for the high number of parking fines is the relatively new Road Traffic Act, which is not yet familiar to everyone – in urban areas, the five-metre safety distance rule also applies to parking on the left-hand side of a two-way street," says Jenny Kainulainen from Helsinki Parking Control.

The five-metre rule is intended to improve the visibility of pedestrian crossings, as more than half of pedestrian accidents still occur at crossings. The smallest road users are particularly at risk when using a pedestrian crossing if a parked car obscures part of their view.

In the most dangerous cases, a parking fine alone is not enough, in which case the offending vehicle is moved to the other side of the street or to a nearby street, at the driver's expense.

Speed limits lowered on school streets – lower speed limit already in effect on 30 streets

In May, the Urban Environment Committee approved the principles for setting speed limits on streets near schools. The speed limit is lowered by 10 km/h near schools on streets where the current speed limit is 40 or 50 km/h.

Traffic signs have now been changed on more than 30 streets. In total, speed limit changes will be made on about 50 streets around Helsinki to improve traffic safety. On the remaining 20 or so streets, the speed limit will be lowered during the rest of the year or later. Other safety improvements are also planned for some of the streets where speed limits will be changed at a later date. These include speed-limiting speed bumps or speed display panels, for example.

Helsinki already uses lower than usual speed limits on streets near some schools. The new changes harmonise the limits near schools throughout the city.

First-graders of Ressu Comprehensive School involved in the campaign
 

Helsinki Parking Control’s annual campaign focuses especially on motorists and first-graders who have just started school. This year, the Parking Control team, together with various authorities, will be visiting Ressu Comprehensive School (Lapinlahdenkatu 10) on 13 August to organise a range of activities for younger road users in the schoolyard from 9:00 to 11:00. Participants can also look forward to seeing fire engines and tow trucks up close. The event will also have parking inspectors and the police providing information about the safety of both pedestrian crossings and traffic. Participating children will also have a chance to draw artworks reminding people about the five-metre rule using road marking crayons near the crossing. Media representatives are invited to follow the event at Ressu Comprehensive School from 9:00 to 11:00.

In addition to organising the Ressu event, Parking Control will also be distributing commendations at the start of this semester: drivers who observe the five-metre pedestrian crossing rule will receive a thank-you card in their windscreen for setting a good example that takes other road users into consideration.