DUI cases increase among under-30s

Three killed when car in Pori crashed into tree and burst into flames

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Although traffic safety has shown an overall improvement this year, accidents involving young people have not declined at the same pace.
      According to Liikenneturva, the Central Organisation for Traffic Safety in Finland, young drivers are involved in 35 per cent of casualties in traffic. The figure has increased in recent times.
      Sirpa Rajalin, head of research at Liikenneturva, says that accidents in which alcohol plays a role have not come down.
      “These go together in that when we have examined the frequency of intoxicated drivers in the flow of traffic, we have noticed that driving under the influence has been an increasing trend especially among those under 30", Rajalin says.
     
The 17-year-old unlicenced owner of a car involved in a violent crash in Pori on Saturday night now faces charges of aggravated drink-driving.
      A breathalyser test showed that the suspect had well over the legal limit of alcohol in his system.
      In the accident, the car entered a curve at a high speed, swerved off the road, and hit a tree, after which it burst into flames.
      Three male passengers, aged 15, 17, and 20, were killed in the crash.
     
A passer-by who arrived at the scene soon after the crash managed to pull two men out of the wreckage. One of them was the suspected driver.
      Petri Kangas of the Pori Police says that there was no clear purpose for the journey; the group were probably just out on a ride. A commission of inquiry is investigating the accident. One of the questions they want answered is why the car caught fire in the crash.
     
Police in Pori also pursued a vehicle driven by a 13-year-old who had taken his father’s car into use. With him in the car was a 14-year-old friend.
      Petri Kangas and Sirpa Rajalin say, nevertheless, that underage driving does not appear to have increased in Finland.


Links:
  Liikenneturva, Central Organisation for Traffic safety in Finland

Helsingin Sanomat