A total of 211 persons died in road traffic accidents in 2019

According to Statistics Finland, 4,002 road traffic accidents involving personal injury occurred in 2019. In them, 211 persons were killed and 5,013 injured. Eight per cent of the injured, or 390 persons, were injured seriously ¹⁾ . In 2019, the number of deaths was one person higher and that of injured persons 290 fewer than in 207. Seventy-eight per cent of those having died and 59 per cent of injured were men.

Road traffic fatalities by age group in 1995 to 2019

In 2019, the number of road traffic fatalities grew in the 35 to 44 age groups. Instead, fewer persons aged 15 to 24 and 25 to 34 died and the same number of persons aged 0 to 14 as in the year before. Fewer road traffic fatalities occurred in all age groups over the age of 45 than in 2018. In 2019, the number of injuries was lower than before in most age groups. The number of road traffic injuries increased only in the 25 to 34 age group.

During 2019, altogether 390 persons were seriously injured in road traffic. Of them, 131 were passenger car drivers and 55 passengers. A total of 51 motorcyclists and 33 moped riders were seriously injured. The number of seriously injured pedestrians was 37 and that of cyclists 34.

In 2019, the number of road traffic deaths was highest in passenger cars, where 97 drivers and 26 passengers were killed. Compared with the previous year, 16 fewer drivers and seven fewer passengers were killed. A total of 25 motorcyclists died, which is one more than in 2018. Three moped riders were killed, which is the same number as one year earlier. Altogether 15 pedestrians were killed in road traffic accidents in 2019, which is ten fewer than in the year before. The number of cyclists' road traffic deaths was 23, or two more than in 2018.

A majority of accidents resulting in death were head-on collisions and swerving accidents. Eighty-one people were killed in head-on collisions and 62 in swerving accidents. Of the injuries, 26 per cent (1,300 persons) took place in swerving accidents.

In 2019, altogether 26 suicides were committed in road traffic by collisions with a motor vehicle. The share of suicides in road traffic fatalities was around 10 per cent. ²⁾

In 2019, a total of 390 alcohol-related accidents involving personal injury occurred, which was 17 fewer than in 2018. Of these, 359 were drunken driving accidents. A total of 42 persons died and 448 persons were injured in drunken driving accidents in 2019, while in the previous year, the corresponding figures were 37 deaths and 500 injured persons.

The number of road traffic accidents involving personal injury was highest in the summer months. Most accidents involving personal injury occurred in August, in all 433, of which 21 were fatal accidents and 412 were accidents resulting in injury. A total of 44 accidents resulting in serious injuries occurred in August 2019.

1) A seriously injured person refers to a person involved in a road traffic accident who is classified as being seriously injured in accordance with the AIS Abbreviated Injury Scale (AAAM, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine). In addition to the road traffic accident data, the data of the care register of the National Institute for Health and Welfare were used in the classification of injuries.
2) Statistics Finland's statistics on causes of death were used as the source.

Source: Statistics on road traffic accidents, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Mervi Härkönen 029 551 3254, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Head of Department in charge: Hannele Orjala

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Updated 19.01.2021

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Statistics on road traffic accidents [e-publication].
ISSN=2342-3846. 2019. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 14.11.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/ton/2019/ton_2019_2021-01-19_tie_001_en.html