Police in the capital city are getting on their bikes to monitor so-called ‘light traffic’ such as electric scooters and bike, and mopeds.
Police officers will be using their own bike squad to increase their surveillance and interaction with light traffic users.
“The traffic rules for new electronic vehicles are not yet well known or enforced. For example, electric scooters are partly lacking in a safety culture when it comes to wearing helmets, choosing the right lanes at the right speeds” says says the Chief Inspector Jarkko Lehtinen.
This year the number of road accident injuries has increased compared to last year, even as the number of road traffic deaths and injuries in Helsinki has fallen in general. It’s no surprise that the spike in injuries coincides with a proliferation of electric scooters and bike sharing services on the streets of the city.
“People using scooters in Helsinki are regularly hospitalized and even major injuries
have occurred in accidents. However, police statistics show only a fraction of traffic injuries, as not all incidents are brought to our attention” says Lehtinen.
Five police officers are being assigned to the bike squad when it starts operations this week, but that might increase in future.
“The aim is to improve the safety of light traffic and reduce accidents and incidents. Of course, all road users have a responsibility for safe and secure traffic, but we do our part to promote road safety” adds Lehtinen.
