The police will conduct a special control operation on heavy traffic throughout Finland from Monday to Sunday between 10 February and 16 February.
“A special theme for the control operation is paying attention to driver distractions,” specifies Chief Superintendent Kari Onninen from the National Police Board.
According to Onninen, the use of phones, tablets or laptops while driving, and obstacles in the field of vision, such as structures installed on the dashboard or decorative items attached to the windshield, will be addressed. “We will focus especially on any objects and obstacles that prevent the drivers from seeing to their right,” says Onninen.
In addition, the focus of surveillance is targeted at the most prominent issues detected during the previous campaigns, such as compliance with driving hours and rest periods, fastening of the load, and the overall condition of the vehicle. According to Kari Onninen, the goal for this campaign is also to inspect approximately 1,500-1,800 vehicles.
Surveillance of heavy vehicle traffic is one of the focus areas set for the traffic safety work of police in 2020. The aim of the operation is to improve road safety and combat crime associated with the shadow economy and transport.
All police departments in Finland will participate in this nationwide campaign. The special control operation is part of the Europe-wide enforcement theme of the European Traffic Police Network (TISPOL).
