Cycling
Helmet truly protects you – wear it!
Helmet is the number one piece of protective gear for cyclists
- Studies have undeniably shown that wearing a bicycle helmet protects against injury and death.
- Wearing a bicycle helmet reduces the likelihood of sustaining a head injury by an average of 51%, a serious head injury by 69%, a facial injury by 33% and a fatal head injury by 65%.
- Wearing a helmet has been shown to reduce the number of cyclists who are killed or seriously injured by 34%.
Source: Liikennevilkku (in Finnish)
Mandatory bicycle equipment:
- Functioning brakes.
- Yellow or white front light and red rear light for when its dark or dim. Lights can be attached to either the bicycle or the cyclist.
- White reflector in the front, red in the back and yellow or white on the side.
- A bell or some other device you can use to give out an audible signal.
- Children under 135 cm tall may only be transported in a suitable seat or child safety device.
Source: Pyöräliitto (in Finnish)
The new rules of cycling
In 2020, the Road Traffic Act was amended, introducing new rules for cycling.
- If the bike lane is on the left side of the road in relation to the direction of travel, you can also cycle on the roadway or shoulder if it is safer.
- In principle, a cycle path is one-way. If a cycle path is two-way, this is indicated by an additional sign.
- On a cycle street, cyclists set the pace, and other vehicles give cyclists unobstructed passage. Cycle streets are marked with a specific traffic sign.
- The obligation of motorists to give way at the bicycle path extension is indicated by a yield triangle, a stop sign or a traffic sign.
- On a one-way street, cycling is permitted in both directions if this is indicated by an additional sign.
- A rear light is mandatory.
Source: Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom
Cycling under the influence is a crime if your intoxication causes danger to other road users.
Cycling accidents in Finland
- Between 2020 and 2022, approximately half of all cycling accidents involved collisions between cars and bicycles.
- Almost two-thirds of those involved in accidents were elderly cyclists, and one-fifth were under the age of 15.
- 70% of the accidents took place at a crossing, and about a half at a bicycle path extension.
- Between 2016 and 2020, one in every four fatal accidents was caused by a medical issue.
- Three-quarters of the deceased were men, and one in four was over 74 years old.
- One in five of those who died were under the influence of alcohol.
- Substance abuse, age and illness increase the risk of accidents because they impair alertness and functional ability.