Finnish statistics - a presentation
Liikenneturva charts the traffic safety situation and its development in Finland by utilising road traffic accident statistics. Based on the statistical information, there is also research as well as traffic safety activities and traffic planning being conducted. Liikenneturva publishes, in a joint effort with Statistics Finland, an annual statistics book. There is a wide range of various statistics data bases and statistics reports compiled at Liikenneturva; by utilising these statistical tools, it is possible to provide services for media, authorities, researchers and citizens who require statistical data about traffic and traffic safety.
Compiling road traffic accident statistics in Finland
The official road traffic accident information is included in the road traffic accident statistics of Statistics Finland. They are based on accident information as reported by the police. The statistics feature data about accidents which led to fatalities. Statistics Finland complements the police information by cause-of-death statistics data regarding the fatalities, the Finnish Road Administration’s information about the location of the accident and the traffic accident research committees’ information about the drunk-driving accidents which led to fatalities. Statistical records about the traffic accidents which are reported by the police are also kept by Road Administration and the municipalities.
Traffic Safety Committee of Insurance Companies (VALT) compiles its own statistics about accidents where there was compensation issued from traffic insurance. These statistics features a great number of traffic accidents that are not included in accident statistics based on police reports. Outside the VALT statistics, however, there are the alcohol-related cases, a part of the single-vehicle accidents, reindeer accidents and accidents which do not fall under the categories of traffic insurance or where insurance compensation was not applied for, for example due to the minor nature of the damages. Accident cases, where compensation has been issued from a voluntary insurance, are not filed in the insurance companies’ statistics.
Detailed information about fatal accidents can be acquired through the activities of road accident investigation teams (organised by Traffic Safety Committee of Insurance Companies). The road accident investigation team activities have been utilised in several special projects.
Statistics of traffic accident cases are compiled also by hospitals and healthcare centres, but the assembled information is primarily meant for health care purposes and can not be effectively used in traffic safety work. Healthcare data can be utilised as supplementary material since it features information that falls outside other statistics; e.g. those injured in light traffic.