Re:Helsinki goes a full year without a traffic death
by 1718627440 on Saturday August 02, 2025 @04:32PM
(#44771165)
Average speed means you have both above and below speeds? When you lower the speed limit, the average will also go down?
But yes, in a city cycle time of traffic lights has a larger effect than max speed.
Re:Helsinki goes a full year without a traffic death
by zahlman on Sunday August 03, 2025 @02:43AM
(#44774589)
> When you lower the speed limit, the average will also go down?
Yes, but by much less than OP might naively expect.
Re:Helsinki goes a full year without a traffic death
by mikkom on Saturday August 02, 2025 @04:34PM
(#44771187)
I live in helsinki and nowhere it is 20 kmh that I know of. Might be some random streets in center. And 30km/h streets are smaller living streets that driving that speed comes almost automatically.
Major ringways and main roads are 80 kmh btw
I have driven in many many countries - Helsinki does not feel slower than any place I have driven, faster in fact because there rarely are traffic jams
Re:Helsinki goes a full year without a traffic death
by jonasdegendt on Saturday August 02, 2025 @05:01PM
(#44771433)
I reckon he means that the average speed when driving through the city centre is 21 km/h, given that you’re stopping at lights and stuff.
Re:Helsinki goes a full year without a traffic death
by mike-the-mikado on Saturday August 02, 2025 @06:05PM
(#44772011)
The Tom Tom data is interesting, but time taken for 10 km is not really an appropriate metric. In a more densely populated city, journeys are likely to be shorter.
So Helsinki city center is at 21km/h travel speeds, metro area at 31km/h. A speed limit of 30 km/h doesn't really affect these travel times much.
I can't find 2023 data to compare, however by other data on the net these are very common average speeds for any city in Europe even those with plenty of 50 km/h speed limits.
If more people take up public transport, bikes or scooters in fear of an average travel speed reduction of 1-2 km/h - that is a total win for everyone involved including drivers.