Many cities and policymakers dream of it, but few can achieve what Helsinki accomplished last year: zero traffic fatalities. The formula behind these exceptional figures is the introduction of a 30 km/hour speed limit in the city.

But speed limits were certainly not the only important factor contributing to this success. The zero traffic fatalities in 2024 are the result of an integrated approach that focuses not only on speed reduction but also on smart infrastructure and strong public transport, for example.

Integrated policy

In Brussels, for example, where the 30 km/hour zone was introduced in 2021, they can only dream of this for now. Still, the Finnish capital has proven that limiting cars and motorcycles to a maximum speed of 30 km/hour can indeed reduce the number of traffic fatalities to zero.

To be clear, in Brussels, too, the number of fatal accidents has decreased in recent years, from 23 fatalities in 2019 to 10 in 2024, while the number of accidents has also become less severe.

The ‘Zone 30’ is one of the most import pillars in ensuring that there are no more traffic fatalities, but in addition to introducing a 30 km/hour speed limit in the city, Helsinki – more than half of all streets and roads have this speed limit, mainly in areas where motorists were previously allowed to drive at 50 km/hour – has also taken several other measures to reduce the number of traffic casualties.

High, income-dependent fines

The city, with a population of almost 690,000 inhabitants, including the metropolitan area, which amounts to around 1.5 million inhabitants, has built wider and better-protected footpaths and cycle paths, featuring clear pedestrian crossings and an extensive network of 1,500 km of separate cycle paths.

Streets were also narrowed, and trees or verges were planted to encourage more conscious driving. There has also been significant investment in tram lines, autonomous buses, and a reliable public transport network.

Another measure that is part of the integrated approach is the installation of more traffic cameras (70) and the fact that the police issue high, income-dependent fines.

In line with the Vision Zero philosophy, first introduced in Sweden in the 1990s, every serious accident is also systematically investigated. Data are used to identify hazardous locations, modify intersections, and implement upgrades as necessary.

And the city, with accidents with injuries also in sharp decline – 277 last year compared to 1,000 in the 1980s –  is going one step further in rolling out the speed limit: from the coming school year, the maximum speed of 30 km/hour will apply on all streets around schools and other educational institutions.

Speed kills

Generally, traffic experts agree that speed is a significant factor in accidents and that speed limits are a crucial key to reducing fatalities. This can be observed in various cities and built-up areas where stricter speed limits have been implemented.

In addition to Helsinki, Oslo, Karlstad in Sweden, and Reine in Germany are examples of cities with similar success. According to the global database of DEKRA, a German company that conducts automotive testing, inspection, and crash research, more than 1,200 cities with populations exceeding 50,000 have achieved zero traffic fatalities in at least one calendar year since 2009.

In 2023, 7,807 people died in traffic accidents in EU cities. The EU aims to halve the number of traffic fatalities by 2030. However, most member states are still far behind schedule, partly because politicians often still consider it an unpopular measure that leads to outrage among car-using city residents.