DL - Driving safety

During the years 2022 - 2024, an average of 100 people died in passenger cars each year and about 2,000 were injured. About half of all road traffic victims died in passenger cars. According to preliminary information, 179 people died in road traffic in 2024 and 3,444 people were injured.

Traffic safety has improved over the years. In the 1970s, the number of deaths was at its worst over 1,000 per year. Most accidents are caused by the driver's own mistake, either while driving or before starting the car. Typically, the most dangerous time is summer weekends.

Today, cars have a number of active safety features to reduce the risk of getting into an accident. For example, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, and blind spot warning help prevent accidents. But cars also have passive safety features, such as airbags and seat belts, just in case.

Always fasten your seat belt as soon as you get into the car. As the driver, you must ensure that all passengers use and know how to use safety equipment correctly. For example, the headrest should be adjusted to a suitable height in the back seat. A booster seat should be provided for children under 135 cm tall, and a child seat or booster seat for smaller children.

Stopping distance

The stopping distance consists of the reaction distance and the braking distance. The reaction time for a person is normally about 1 - 2 seconds. The reaction time is affected by the driver's driving condition.

When you slow down your speed by a quarter, the braking distance is almost halved. For example: at a speed of 80km/h the braking distance is 27 meters. At a speed of 60km/h the braking distance is only 15 meters.

Test the stopping distance of a car with a traffic safety animation.

When you drive... drive

The driver of a vehicle must concentrate on driving while driving. Nowadays, it has become common to use a phone while driving for activities other than talking. Holding a phone in your hand while driving is not permitted.

You can use your phone to talk if you connect it to your car's entertainment system. Almost all cars now have a touchscreen as standard, and you can connect your phone to it using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. This allows you to send messages, use navigation apps and listen to music on your phone. Even though you can use your phone via the car's touchscreen, focus fully on driving.





Alcohol and drugs

Driving under the influence of alcohol is not permitted. The official limit for drunk driving is 0.5 per mille of alcohol in the blood (0.22 mg of alcohol per liter of breath). In Finland, the police carry out approximately 100,000 roadside breath tests every year. Approximately a quarter of fatal traffic accidents involve an intoxicated driver.

Driver health and fatigue

As a driver, you are responsible for your own driving condition. Make sure you always start driving in good spirits and avoid driving too long distances at once. It is best to take a break at least every two hours. If you do not feel in good condition, it is best to avoid driving.




DL_FREE book is freely available for driving studies and includes linked videos. Copying the book and its parts is prohibited. The book is provided to driving school students by DL Oppimaterialit and SG-IAF.