How roads are cleaned in Finland in winter. Roads in Finland. lingers on the roadway for no more than half an hour: it is blown away by the wind, the wheels of cars and the feet of pedestrians

How is the fight against the elements going in other countries? This is something incredible!

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Finland

Finnish roads are handled by the Road Administration (Finnish: Tiehallinto), an agency subordinate to the Ministry of Transport and Communications. A day before the upcoming snowfall, Department officials hold a meeting and analyze their reserves.

The road network is divided into five classes of winter maintenance, each of them has its own standards for the quality of work to eliminate slipperiness, the height of the snow cover and the uniformity of the ice layer.

The highest priority is given to the busiest highways and streets. By the beginning of the working day, the snow level should not exceed two (!) centimeters.

The method of spreading sand and other abrasive (hard and fine-grained) materials is called frictional: ice cannot be completely eliminated by this method, but road traction is improved.

The main condition for using this technology is that roads need to be cleaned almost to the asphalt immediately after or during a snowfall. All central streets of Helsinki are heated, and the parking system is well-functioning. But the main thing is information and accurate
calculation.

Helsinki after snowfall:

Winter speed limits

In winter there are special restrictions in Finland. The maximum permissible speed on the highway is 80 km/h, on the highway - 100 km/h.

The Finnish Transport Agency estimates that winter restrictions save 14 lives every year.

Finnish traffic rules can be found in Russian at the Finnish Road Safety Education Organization Liikenneturva.

Watch the thermometers

The weather in Finland likes to spoil drivers with unpleasant surprises. Therefore, the National Road Administration pays special attention to studying road conditions and warning drivers.

Thermometers are installed on the roadsides that show the temperature of the air (ilma) and the road surface (tie). If the road temperature is below zero and the air temperature is higher, drivers themselves reduce their speed: they know that under these conditions the formation of “black ice” is possible - a thin crust into which moisture turns when it condenses on a cold road.

This ice is almost invisible, and it is difficult to distinguish a wet road from an icy one. The car, hitting a strip of “black ice”, instantly loses control. “Black ice” most often occurs at the beginning of a thaw.

Air temperature (ilma) and road temperature (tie), as well as traffic information, can be found on-line, on the website of the traffic authority alk.tiehallinto.fi (images from 146 video cameras installed on Finnish roads).

Another dangerous phenomenon is freezing rain. Drops of water falling through a layer of cold air cool to sub-zero temperatures, but do not freeze. However, at the first contact with tree branches, wires or the road, they instantly turn into an ice crust.

A sharp drop in temperature, a glassy sheen in the headlights of roadside bushes, and a change in the sound of droplets on the windshield warns of the onset of freezing rain—it becomes hard.

REMINDER of the Finnish authorities about the Rules of the Road in Russian

All roads in Finland are divided into three categories based on the quality of their service. Roads of the highest category are cleared of snow first, then secondary roads are cleared, and only then the country roads, which by mid-winter find themselves under a compacted snow crust. Such roads are generously sprinkled with granite chips, which provide better wheel grip than river sand. The most difficult areas are also sprinkled with crumbs - entrances to bridges, road junctions, intersections - in general, those places where cars change lanes and change speed.

Spikes

By order of the road administration in winter, that is, from December 1 to March 1, you must drive in Finland on winter tires, preferably studded ones. Studded tires are effective when driving on roads covered with a layer of compacted snow. The use of friction rubber (“Velcro”) or all-season tires is allowed, but the Finns prefer to use studded tires in winter, as they consider them the most reliable.

Winter tires(or tires intended for year-round use, without studs). Mandatory application from 1.12. until 29.02. The use of winter tires without studs is allowed all year round. The depth of the pattern is at least 3 mm. This applies to all passenger cars and pickups registered abroad with a total weight of no more than 3,500 kg.

Application of spikes allowed only during the period from 1.11. until 31.03 or until the second Monday after Easter, unless this Monday falls earlier than March 31. The exception is cases when the use of winter and/or studded tires is due to weather conditions. For failure to comply with the rule, a forgetful driver may pay a very high fine.

Summer tires
Application allowed from 01.03. until 30.11. The pattern depth is at least 1.6 mm. Sometimes Finns measure the tread at the border, and due to seasonal discrepancies in tires, you may simply not be allowed into the country.

Driving style

The Finnish driving style surprises Russians with its regularity. And it gives the result: the death rate on Finnish roads is three times lower than in Russia.

In Finland, there are special courses where drivers learn the features of winter driving. Briefly, they boil down to well-known rules:
always try to anticipate the development of the situation;
slow down before entering the turn;
do not make sudden movements with the steering wheel, gas, or brake; do not make ill-considered overtaking.

In winter, special attention should be paid to snow removal. Snowplows block most of the roadway, and overtaking such a vehicle on a regular road often ends in a collision with an oncoming car. Sometimes it makes sense to wait for the snow blower to go into the “pocket” at the bus station and let the “tail” of cars pass.

Remember that the hazard light in the car is installed not only to indicate stopping in the wrong place or after a collision. If you feel insecure, if there is a possibility of loss of control, turn on the emergency lights in any uncertain situation, demonstrating to others that not everything is okay with you.

It is also necessary to monitor the condition of the car - in particular, the windshield wipers must be in good working order and cleared of ice build-up, and anti-freezing liquid must be poured into the reservoir for watering the windshield.

Website of the Finnish Road Administration www.tiehallinto.fi

Website of the Finnish Road Safety Service www.liikenneturva.fi (there are pages in Russian).

The Finnish Road Service duty number is 0200 2100 (English).

In case of an accident, call the rescue service by calling 112 (English).

Finns sometimes find quite successful solutions to various everyday issues. Finland is a northern country, so here, as in Russia, there is a lot of snow in winter. Too much snow and ice. This makes it difficult to drive safely in winter. Nokian winter tires alone are not enough here. In addition, past the cars there are also pedestrians and bicycles. Many people believe that the only way to deal with ice and snow on the roads is to water the roadway and sidewalks with reagents that melt the snow and ice, ensuring direct contact of the car's tires with the road. However, there are other interesting methods that are used in Finland and which we will tell you about today.

Various chemical reagents, even such as salt, of course clean the road, but at the same time cause significant harm to the environment: they damage the cars themselves and shoes. Many are very unhappy because their car rots faster, and their boots are constantly covered in white stains in winter.

Gravel instead of reagents and sand

You can sprinkle sand on the road, but the sand litters the city, which is already full of dust in the spring. Finns very often use fine gravel instead of sand and reagents. The size of gravel chips that are sprinkled on roads in Finland ranges from a few millimeters to a centimeter, that is, it is not sand or dust, but small sharp pebbles.

This is what the pebbles that Finns use to sprinkle roads in winter look like.

The stones work very effectively. The pebbles are sharp and cut into both the ice and the sole of your shoe or the tire tread of your car or bicycle, providing good traction on both snow and ice. Pebbles do not need to be poured every day, but only when snow has fallen, or there is ice on the road due to weather conditions. I sprinkled them with stones and they lay there until the next snowfall. I don’t know how often you have to pour stones, but it seems to me that on average it happens no more than once a week. The stones work quite well, providing good contact with the road for pedestrians, bicycles and cars traveling at low speeds in the city.

Stones have another significant advantage. In addition to the fact that stones are natural to the environment, unlike chemical reagents, they can be collected and used a second time. The pebbles are quite heavy and, unlike sand, remain until spring in the place where they were poured. In the spring, as soon as the frost stops, pebbles are collected very quickly throughout Finland.

Several tractors can collect stones from an entire street in a couple of hours...

Pebbles are collected, firstly, to be used next winter, because Finns are very thrifty. And secondly, to clean the roadway. Once the snow melts, the pebbles on the road become somewhat dangerous. A pile of pebbles scattered on the asphalt behaves like a bunch of small balls. If you brake sharply on pebbles on asphalt without ice and snow, the car or bicycle will roll further. At low speeds up to 40 km/h this is not critical, but at high speeds it becomes dangerous.

In spring, pebbles can even become dangerous, as they behave like balls on asphalt...

Pebbles are very effective, especially in the city center where there are a lot of pedestrians and cars move slowly. On large highways, pebbles do not work, so in Finland, on highways, they also water the roadway with reagents.

The spring sun heated the pebbles and they fell under the ice...

And the stones are all under the ice...

In the spring, pebbles hardly work for a while...

Also, pebbles do not work in the spring when the ice melts. During the spring day, black stones, unlike white snow, quickly heat up and “fall” through the ice cover on the road. By nightfall it was freezing again, there were no more stones on the road, but pure ice. But this situation does not last long. At this time you just need to be a little more careful. But in winter you generally need to drive and walk more carefully. Therefore, in our opinion, Finnish stones are a very effective environmentally friendly solution to the problem of winter traffic safety for a small city.

In the spring, all sidewalks and roadways in Finland are covered with a layer of stones...

In Finland, almost all cities are very small. Are pebbles suitable for a big city? In our opinion, quite, especially in the city center, in pedestrian areas. How expensive is it to use this type of gravel? It seems to us that it is no more expensive than chemicals or sand. In both cases, a machine is needed to pour the reagent and scatter sand or stones. So the cost of the stone throwing procedure itself is the same. The stones may be more expensive, but they can be used many times. Special equipment collects stones very quickly. Several Finnish tractors can clean an entire street in a couple of hours. Watch our video transmission for yourself and see how simple it is:

February 2012

My husband and I have prepared a short article about the roads in Finland, since we ourselves love to travel by car. Danya (my husband) has been to Finland about 10 times. Most often - by car. In this joint post of ours, Danya talks about the roads of Finland (briefly and dryly, like a real man), gives useful advice to former and future travelers, talks about parking and basic rules... in general, shares her experience. And I add a little feminine thoughts :)

Using low beams and fog lights

The low beam on the car must always be on while driving.

Fog lights may only be used when they are really necessary (in fog, snow).

Anti-radar

Prohibited as a class; if detected while crossing the border, there is a high chance of not crossing that very border.

Speed ​​mode

The standard speed limit is 50 km/h in built-up areas, 80 km/h outside built-up areas. Signs indicating the permitted speed are often, very often.

Speed ​​control on roads

In many places, cameras are installed that record speed and take a photo of the car in case of violation. Signs hanging 200-300 meters before the camera installation site honestly warn about them. But there are also completely invisible and unadvertised cameras hanging there. If you see a flash, it almost 100% means that you have broken something.

Changing speed signs depending on conditions

Depending on road conditions, speed may be automatically limited. On large highways, speed limit signs are electronic and can change their numbers.

Parking on the highway

Parking on the side of the road is not permitted - special parking lots are located along the entire route, approximately tens of kilometers away.

Parking outside populated areas on a road with a “main road” sign is prohibited; there are places for parking specially designated for this, marked with the letter P. This may simply be a widening of the roadway, or it may be a road extending away from the main road with a platform at the end , toilets, gazebos, benches, information about the region.

Roads in winter

The roads are rougher, but cleaner. The road surface feels more slippery, especially in the city. There is no salt on the roads; they are sprinkled with granite chips. But we used the washer twice during the whole trip. After returning to Russian territory, the washer reservoir ran out at 100 kilometers.

Pedestrians

Pedestrians are sacred! They may not even look when they cross the road. In Finland there are no crossings on roads with a speed of more than 60. Pedestrians are either very loved or very afraid. We did not encounter a single pedestrian crossing on the highway where the permitted speed was more than 60 km/h. If you still need to cross the highway, then a few hundred meters away from it a sign is placed limiting the speed to 60. Outside populated areas, very often there are crossings with an island in the middle, and when it is dark, this island is illuminated.

Roundabout Circulation

Many intersections of equivalent roads are organized in the form of a roundabout. It's quite convenient. The main one is the one who is already on the circle, and not the one who enters it.

Left Lane

No one drives in the left lane - it is only for overtaking.

When driving on roads with two lanes in one direction (to be honest, I have never seen roads with three lanes), the left lane is always free, no one drives on it, it is only for overtaking. Overtook and back into the right lane.

Did turn signals invent panties?

Everyone always uses a turn signal. Unfortunately, in Russia it is becoming almost indecent to use it. The only car that did not show a turn signal during our entire trip had the region number 177 rus :)

Rapidly changing traffic lights in the city

Traffic lights change unusually quickly (especially in cities). The yellow signal is almost invisible, and the green signal does not blink.

A traffic light with an arrow is a separate traffic light

On our way there were no so-called traffic lights with arrows. The arrow is a separate full-fledged traffic light with its own red, yellow and even green colors.

About parking

You cannot stand in the courtyards - a fine of 40 euros.

The courtyard of the house is considered private territory and the entrance to it is decorated with signs warning that parking in the courtyard may result in a fine of 40 euros.

In 600 km of driving in Finland, we encountered only one police car, and that one was in the night, though it was shamelessly violating speed limits :)

They violate everything for 10 kilometers.

Of course, no one follows the speed limit literally; almost everyone breaks the speed limit within 5-10 kilometers.

Another observation is that the farther the country is from Russia, the fewer conditional porshicayens are found on the roads. During my approximately 10 stays in Finland, I met only 1 Cayenne and 2 Audi Q7 with Finnish license plates. In Estonia this number is already several orders of magnitude greater. Now let's look out the window...

In general, Yelopukki’s relatives do not drive the latest car market products. There are a lot of old cars, but they are all in very good condition. In one of the parking lots next to us there was an Opel Kadett; the car was finally discontinued in 1991, that is, it is now at least 21 years old. The main problem of these cars is the rusting rear arches, this can easily be seen if you meet such a specimen on our roads - either there will be a lot of welding marks in this place, or a lot of rust. Everything about the Finnish cadet was familiar, at least it felt like it.

And now I’ve taken away Dani’s computer and I want to say a few words as a navigator.

Maps and navigator

In fact, the Tom-Tom navigator works as a real navigator in our car. He knows all the roads (even country roads) in Finland and takes us everywhere perfectly. Therefore, when getting ready to travel, I advise you to get a navigator and fill it with places of interest. We call our navigator Natasha (he has a woman’s voice), we lovingly disobey him if we know better where we need to go... and we take him on walking walks around the city! Very comfortably. Of course, we always have with us a paper road map of Finland (bought once on Nesta) and maps of the region and city where we are going. First of all, when we get to a new place, we go to tourist information - we collect maps and booklets on interesting places. Sometimes maps can be found in the parking lot.

Points of interest signs

All of Finland is full of signs. But not traffic signs, but information signs - where there is something interesting.

A white monogram on a brown background with the name of the attraction and how many kilometers to the place. Oh, if only there were guidebooks where all these places are described.

Good luck on the roads!

poppismic
24/02/2012 02:57

The opinions of tourists may not coincide with the opinions of the editors.

Finnish road builders have achieved excellence in the difficult task of creating high-quality road surfaces. From the point of view of drivers in many countries, Finnish roads are almost ideal. But still, driving on these roads in winter requires a certain skill.

Finland is located in that part of the land where warm air masses from the Atlantic and the icy winds of the North collide for more than half the year. Even in the midst of winter, a thaw can suddenly begin, which will just as quickly be replaced by snowfall and frost.

Natural phenomena that are potentially dangerous for automobile traffic constantly occur here. Therefore, the Finnish National Road Administration pays special attention to studying the condition of roads, warning drivers about danger and developing rules for using vehicles in certain conditions.

This insidious temperature

You can often see special thermometers on the side of Finnish roads. They show the air temperature ( ilma) and road surface ( tie). Finnish drivers, seeing that the road temperature is below zero, and the air temperature is higher, reduce their speed - they know that under these conditions, “black ice” may form on the road.

This is the name given to a thin ice crust on the road surface, which forms the moisture that condenses on a cold road. This ice is practically invisible on the road - and it is very difficult to distinguish a wet road from an icy one. The car, hitting a strip of “black ice”, instantly loses control. “Black ice” most often occurs at the beginning of a thaw.

Another dangerous phenomenon in winter is freezing rain. Drops of water falling through a layer of cold air cool to a temperature below zero, but do not freeze. However, at the first contact with tree branches, wires or roads, the drops instantly freeze, forming a thin ice crust. A sharp drop in temperature, a glassy shine in the headlights of roadside bushes and trees, and a change in the sound of droplets on the windshield warns of the appearance of freezing rain - it becomes hard.

For safety's sake

All roads in Finland are divided into three categories based on the quality of their service. Roads of the highest category are cleared of snow and treated with salt first, then secondary roads are cleaned, and only then country roads. Roads of the highest category most often remain without snow all winter, but secondary and country roads find themselves under a compacted snow crust by mid-winter.

Such roads are generously sprinkled with granite chips, which provide better wheel grip than river sand. The most difficult areas are also sprinkled with crumbs - entrances to bridges, road junctions, intersections, in general, those places where there is a change in traffic speed and mandatory changes of cars.

It should be remembered that no matter what the road is, the driver is still responsible for safety in Finland. In the event of an accident, difficult road conditions may be a contributing factor, but not the cause of the accident. After all, the rules say that the driver must choose the speed in accordance with the road conditions. That is why you should monitor the technical condition of your car - in particular its tires.

Time for winter tires

According to the Finnish Road Administration, in winter, that is, from December 1 to March 1, winter tires, preferably studded, must be used in Finland. Studded tires are recommended for all inexperienced drivers during this period. The rest of the time, the use of winter tires with studs is permitted from November 1 to March 31, and longer if appropriate weather conditions exist.

In addition, studded tires are most effective when driving on roads covered with a layer of compacted snow. But on asphalt, the benefits of studs are reduced. Therefore, Finnish tire manufacturers offer drivers a new generation of so-called friction tires. These tires do not stud, but have a special rubber coating that can change its properties depending on temperature conditions, and has an increased coefficient of friction, including with respect to ice.

For example, the Finnish Hakkapeliitta R is inferior to studded tires on bare ice, but wins on asphalt covered with a mess of snow, salt and water. A big plus is that it can be used both in Finland, where it is advisable to ride on spikes in winter, and in Germany, where spikes are prohibited. Finnish tire makers are proud that the new tire has reduced rolling resistance while maintaining braking performance.

However, the friction properties of a tire deteriorate as it wears out, so when buying tires, ask again what tread height is considered critical for a tire in order to use it as winter tires.

You can find out about road weather, road works and many important things on the website of the Finnish Road Administration.

On the website in Finnish, English and partly in Russian you can get live weather reports and even see the roads of Finland yourself using a network of road cameras. As for traffic rules, we recommend visiting the website of the Finnish Road Safety Service.

If you need to provide first aid in an emergency, call the Rescue Service by calling 112. English is the working language of this service. If an accident occurs and there are no casualties, contact the local police by calling 118.

Have a nice trip!

Special thanks for consultations to the Finnish Road Administration and Mr. Pauli Haimi.

Text: Konstantin Ranks