Traffic safety
The development of traffic safety is monitored with the help of feedback from customers and traffic accident data reported by the police.
The principle of traffic planning is that all parties involved in traffic survive unharmed in traffic. This objective is based on the objective of the EU Road Safety Strategy, in which no one will have to die or be injured in transport by 2050. In connection with this so-called zero sum vision, an important sub-objective in Finland is to reduce the number of traffic fatalities to less than 100 by 2030.
Traffic safety is improved in urban planning, by adapting the speed limits to the traffic environment and, for example, by implementing speed bumps and narrow passages on roads.
Road safety initiatives and customer feedback
A limited appropriation is reserved annually for the implementation of road safety targets. Safety initiatives are collected over a longer period of time and the urgency of implementation is assessed periodically.
The assessment of the initiatives is based on the traffic safety situation (measured driving speeds, accidents), traffic conditions on the street (pass-through traffic, walking and cycling paths, intersections) and land use in the area affected by the street (schools, day-care centres, sheltered housing, sports areas, etc.)
The assessment is carried out once a year and the sites selected for implementation are included in the construction programme for the following year.
Traffic safety measures are also planned in traffic planning based on customer feedback. Customer feedback can be submitted through the City of Kuopio feedback service.
Obligation of the property owner to maintain a green area bordering the street area
The trees and shrubs of properties may pose a risk to public transport and hinder the maintenance and cleaning of the street area. The care of the trees and shrubs growing in the property belongs to the owner of the property, who must ensure that the vegetation does not hinder visibility and movement, for example.
Trees and shrubs growing at intersections can cause dangerous situations especially for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as for motorists. The spread of vegetation in old properties should be checked at appropriate intervals. When planting on new properties, it must be taken into account that, for example, trees and hedges can also fit on the plot once fully grown.
Links
- Speed limits in Kuopio
- Maintenance and cleaning of street areas
- Kuopio traffic safety plan 2030 (pdf, in Finnish)
- Statistics Finland road accident statistics
Feedback service