Police boost road surveillance as schools reopen

The Police have taken extra measures to intensify the supervision of compliance with traffic rules at pedestrian crossings and driving speeds near schools as academic year begins from this week after the summer vacation.

Over the next few weeks, the Police will intensify traffic control in the vicinity of schools. The aim is to prevent road accidents and to ensure schoolchildren have a safe journey to and from school, said the National Police Board in a press release.

“The presence of the Police and above all visible monitoring have a calming effect on traffic and add to the sense of safety of children and also to the safety of school journeys,” said Heikki Kallio, Superintendent at the National Police Board.

Over the next few weeks, the Police will mainly monitor traffic speeds and compliance with road safety rules at pedestrian crossings.

Monitoring will also target the behaviour of vulnerable road users in traffic, compliance with traffic signals, the use of safety devices and factors causing inattentiveness in traffic.

Attention will also be paid to the safe stopping or parking of vehicles in accordance with the Road Traffic Act when dropping children off at school or picking them up from school.

Speeds will be monitored especially in the vicinity of schools and in other risk spots in built-up areas.

“Drivers need to take into account the importance of sufficiently low speed and show particular caution now that road-users include very young schoolchildren with less traffic awareness,” Kallio added.