Brush up on safe tunnel etiquette: road tunnels are meant for motorised vehicles only
When it comes to safety, tunnels are the most critical part of our road network, where even minor disruptions can lead to serious incidents. As the weather warms up in the summer, however, pedestrians, cyclists, scooters and other road users that are strictly prohibited from travelling through road tunnels will still try to enter them. Who is allowed to enter road tunnels? What are the potential consequences of unauthorised entry into a tunnel? It is once again time to brush up on safe tunnel etiquette.
Fintraffic's road traffic centres keep motorists safe during their journeys through tunnels, all the way from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. Road traffic centres monitor road tunnel traffic particularly closely and around the clock, which is why a road traffic centre is immediately made aware of anything unusual occurring in a tunnel.
"During the summer, alerts are raised due to pedestrians, cyclists and scooters that have somehow entered road tunnels, for example. However, these road users are strictly prohibited from travelling through road tunnels on motorways and dual carriageways. Tunnels and their cameras are also of interest to young people, and it is important for parents to make their offspring aware of the risks of entering tunnels. At worst, unauthorised entry into a tunnel can cause a very serious incident, which is why safety-critical road tunnels should be reserved for motorised vehicles only", says traffic centre manager Kari Tarkki from Fintraffic's Road Traffic Management.
Pedestrians and cyclists do not belong in road tunnels. In addition to potentially dangerous situations, entering a tunnel with any means of transport other than a permitted vehicle can also lead to sanctions from the police. Fintraffic's road traffic centres also report possible pedestrians and other traffic that does not belong in road tunnels to the Emergency Response Centre.
Safety equipment in tunnels has a crucial effect on traffic safety
Safety is always a top priority in tunnels, and the safety equipment placed in tunnels plays a key role in ensuring a safe flow of traffic. Fintraffic takes care of the safety and flow of traffic in tunnels around the clock, on every day of the year. To make that possible, a large amount of safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers, public address systems and traffic cameras, has been placed in tunnels. The operation of this equipment must not be disturbed.
"In the case of tunnels, our work involves monitoring the traffic in the tunnels and reacting to system alerts. For example, traffic cameras are a part of the control system that we use to ensure that, above all, travelling through tunnels is safe and smooth. The cameras send a situational picture to our road traffic centre, which allows us to react swiftly to any abnormalities", Tarkki says, further pointing out the importance of functioning safety equipment.
Fintraffic's road traffic centres operate around-the-clock as they provide assistance in road traffic control, communications related to road traffic and incident management. The authorities and other operators in the traffic sector work in close cooperation to ensure the safety and smoothness of road traffic.
