The busiest day for Easter traffic, Maundy Thursday (17 April), is approaching and thousands of Finnish people are preparing to set off for the holidays. Fintraffic’s Road Traffic Centre reminds everyone about the importance of remembering that in spring, there may be sudden changes in the road and traffic conditions and that safety is always the priority in traffic. Check the Easter road traffic forecasts now and read the current tips for Easter traffic to ensure that you will have a safe and smooth journey.
When will traffic be busiest?
As usual, the busiest traffic days of Easter are expected to be Maundy Thursday (17 April) and Easter Monday (21 April).
- According to the forecasts issued by Fintraffic’s Road Traffic Centre, the busiest time for outbound traffic will be on Maundy Thursday between 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Traffic will also be heavy on Good Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., and even later in the day in the north. There will be intermittent queues, especially on the exit roads from the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and on main roads 4, 5 and 9 up to Jyväskylä and Mikkeli.
- Return traffic will already start to increase during the afternoon and evening of Sunday 20 April, with a peak in return traffic on Monday 21 April between 12:00 noon and 8:00 p.m. So be prepared for queues on the roads, especially in Southern Finland.
“The long Easter break tempts many people to load up their car and head for the holiday home or the fells in the north. Compared to winter holidays, which are staggered, there has traditionally been more traffic at Easter as people set off for the holidays at same time,” explains Sanna Piilinen, Head of Fintraffic’s Road Traffic Centre.
Avoid congestion, risks and stress – keep a cool head when driving
On busy roads, the importance of anticipatory driving and patience is emphasised – rushing or unnecessary overtaking does not speed up the journey but increases risk situations. It is also advisable to consider the changeable spring weather and the poor condition of the roads after the winter in some places when making travel plans.
“It is a good idea to remember that safety always starts with the driver also in Easter traffic. And even if spring is already well under way, it is worth remembering that the road conditions may vary especially when the journey is long. Let’s therefore drive calmly, forget unnecessary overtaking and always keep the required safety distances,” Sanna Piilinen continues.
To make your trip more pleasant:
Don’t rush. Reserve enough time and set off without a sense of rush. Careful planning, such as avoiding the busier times and having breaks on the way, makes travelling by car stress-free. When the journey goes smoothly, you will get into the holiday mood before you even reach the destination, relaxed and in good spirits.
Keep the required safety distances. Safety distances are particularly important when driving in a queue because they help to avoid multiple vehicle collisions and leave valuable time for reacting when something happens suddenly. Anticipatory driving and a sufficient distance also prevent unnecessary accordion effects in queues, which in turn reduces fuel consumption and improves the smoothness of driving.
Concentrate on driving. Only an attentive driver is able to react fast and make the right decisions in traffic. When there is a mobile phone or some other distraction attracting attention, the driver is not able to observe the changes in traffic sufficiently early, which delays the reaction in a sudden situation. As a result, corrective movements may also be timed or directed wrongly because the driver's attention has been caught by something else. Therefore, when behind the wheel, concentrate only on driving.
Take the capricious spring weather into account. Spring comes with weather conditions that may be unpredictable and change rapidly. Although the sun is already warm and the temperature rises above zero, the road surface may still be slippery, particularly in the morning. Especially on longer journeys, wintry driving conditions may also surprise the driver. The road conditions in northern Finland may still be wintry and some winter speed limits may apply. So check the condition of the tyres and the tyre pressures and clean the head and rear lights when there is slush on the roads. It is advisable to also have the windscreen wiper blades and the windscreen washer fluid on your checklist. As the sun can be dazzling in spring, keep the sunglasses with you.
Safe journey!
