Road traffic on the Midsummer weekend: Check the road traffic forecasts and tips for safe Midsummer traffic
Midsummer traffic will start towards the end of the week. Fintraffic, the police, Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom, Finnish Road Safety Council, Emergency Response Centre Agency and the Ministry of the Interior Department for Rescue Services wish you a safe Midsummer on the road. When you drive during the Midsummer, remember anticipation and a good driving condition and to take your time. Now is the right time to also go over what you should do at the site of an accident and start using the 112 Suomi app.
According to the forecasts of Fintraffic’s road traffic centre, outward Midsummer traffic is expected to be at its busiest on the day before Midsummer Eve (Thursday, 23 June). Plenty of outward traffic is still expected on the morning of Midsummer Eve (Friday, 24 June), but significantly less than during the previous day. Return traffic will peak on Midsummer Sunday (Sunday, 26 June).
“When you’re heading out to enjoy Midsummer, you should plan your departure time and avoid the busiest hours, if possible. In addition, it’s a good idea to plan your route in advance. For instance, routes on which roadworks are being carried out will most likely become congested, and so will the routes near major Midsummer events. Also note that if it rains during the busiest hours, the driving speeds may be reduced substantially, says Sanna Piilinen, Fintraffic’s Head of Road Traffic Management Center.
Midsummer traffic predictions:
Outward traffic will be at its busiest on Thursday, 24 June. However, more traffic than usual is also expected on Friday morning, and congestion may still occur at that time.
Outward traffic in Southern Finland will be at its busiest from noon to 19:00 on Thursday, 24 June. In the north, traffic may be busy for even longer. During the busiest times, traffic may become congested and driving speeds may be reduced. The greatest traffic volumes are on Highways 9 Tampere–Jyväskylä, 6 Elimäki–Kouvola, 5 Lusi–Mikkeli and 4 Helsinki–Lusi. Queues may form for the Turku archipelago ferries from time to time as well.
Return traffic will begin in the morning of Sunday, 26 June, remaining busy in Southern Finland until 20:00–22:00. Traffic may become congested especially on Highways 4 Jyväskylä–Helsinki, 5 Mikkeli–Lusi and 9 Jyväskylä–Tampere.
Roadworks may hinder traffic:
Efforts will be made to minimise the effect of roadworks on Midsummer traffic. In spite of this, roadworks may cause lower speed limits and lane changes or closures, all of which slow down traffic.
In the Helsinki Metropolitan area, the most significant roadworks that may hinder traffic are on Highways 4 Ring Road III–Koivukylä and on Main road 50 (Ring Road III) Juvanmalmi–Petikko.
Roadworks on main roads that might hinder traffic also include:
|
|
For real-time information on ongoing roadworks and other disruptions, check Fintraffic’s Traffic Situation service, also available as a mobile app free of charge from Google Play or App Store. You should check the current weather information and warnings at ilmatieteenlaitos.fi well before your departure.
Only drive when you are sober and well rested
The police supervise driving habits and driving condition in Midsummer traffic, also by means of traditional breathalyser controls.
“A good driving condition is the key to successful Midsummer trip. You should expect congestion and keep a cool head while driving. Overtaking gives no advantage when the route is congested, but it may cause serious hazards and even bad accidents,” Chief Superintendent Heikki Ihalainen sums up.
Traficom emphasises the significance of the driver as well and also reminds that seat belts must be worn.
“The driver should pay attention to their energy and take enough breaks. You should not drive if you are tired. Passengers should check the driver’s energy levels from time to time and suggest breaks even when they are in a hurry to start celebrating Midsummer. You should also ensure that everyone is wearing the seat belt. Let’s give everyone the chance of a successful Midsummer trip and take others into account in traffic,” says Inkeri Parkkari, Chief Adviser at Traficom.
Adequate safe distances give time to act in exceptional circumstances
The importance of observing safe distances is emphasised when there is a lot of traffic. If the distance to the vehicle before you is too short, this may lead to a rear-end collision or even a multiple-vehicle collision.
“Keep a good safe distance to see what happens in front of you and to have the time to anticipate different situations. There are also more slow agricultural vehicles, museum vehicles and bicycles in the traffic during summer, which may cause unexpected changes in speed. Responding to such changes may be delayed if the safe distance is inadequate, which increases the risk of accidents,” Rainer Kinisjärvi, Regional Manager at Finnish Road Safety Council adds.
Go over what you should do at the site of an accident – your actions could save lives
Road users’ obligations include calling for help and helping others in the event of an accident. The Emergency Response Centre Agency encourages drivers to download the 112 Suomi mobile app for emergencies and accidents. The app shows traffic information based on your position and allows you to report road conditions and traffic issues to the Road User’s phone line. In the case of an emergency, call 112 immediately.
“If you are the first one to arrive at the scene of an accident: stop and check the situation, call 112, if necessary, answer to questions and follow the instructions given. If the caller drives by the accident site without stopping, it is difficult for the Emergency Response Centre operator to assess what kind of assistance is required and where the accident has taken place,” says Juha Suominen, Head of Department at the Emergency Response Centre.
Everyone has the general duty to help in the case of an accident.
“If you notice a traffic accident, stop in a safe place and turn on your vehicle’s hazard lights. Move along the edge of the road to the site of the accident and seek to prevent additional damage by turning off the car’s engine and warning other traffic. Also keep your own safety in mind and, if it’s dark, make yourself more visible by, for example, wearing a high-visibility vest. Set up the warning triangle at a sufficient distance from the site of the accident, contact the emergency services and help the injured as much as you can. If professional help has already arrived at the site of the accident, focus on passing the site safely, lower your speed sufficiently and do not film or take pictures of the site,” says Alpo Nikula, Senior Officer at the Ministry of the Interior Department for Rescue Services.
