There are now a record number of special transports on the road – do you know what to do when you encounter one?
Have you ever met an oncoming vehicle with a warning sign and yellow flashing lights? Did you stop to marvel at the awesome column of vehicles that was transporting an exceptionally large load among regular traffic? An increasing number of drivers are now encountering special transports, which demands patience and sometimes also a quick reminder of the rules of the road.
The number of special transports has multiplied in recent years
The number of special transports in Finland has significantly increased in recent years. This spring in particular, there were almost ten times as many special transports as in previous years. For example, there were 165 special transports that met the announcement criterion in May this year compared to only 21 in May 2020 and 17 in May 2019. A similar trend was seen in April: there were about ten transports in 2019–2020 compared to 72 transports in 2021 that met the announcement criterion.
The most common transports seen on Finnish roads are transformers, ship engines, trams, wind turbine blades and frames, and construction modules that are prefabricated to the greatest possible extent in factories before being transported to the installation site. The sign on the warning vehicle will tell you what kind of special transport to expect – a long, wide or tall load.
Fintraffic’s Traffic Management Centre maintains a real-time situational picture of transports
You can’t simply set out into the Finnish road network with a large load, as each transport that meets the criteria for a special transport subject to licence must apply for a separate transport permit. Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment will issue permits for special transports that meet their criteria, and will also send information to Fintraffic about any permits that meet the announcement criterion. If a transport exceeds 7 metres in height or width, or 40 metres in length, information about the special transport and its route must be received by Fintraffic’s Traffic Management Centre at least two days before the transport departs.
“At the Traffic Management Centre, we’ll check the transport’s planned route and draft a traffic bulletin about the transport. The bulletin is then checked, and will be sent when the transport manager informs us that the special transport is setting out on the road,” says Marko Viljanen, a Traffic Management Centre operator at Fintraffic.
It is the duty of the special transport manager to remain in regular contact with Fintraffic’s Traffic Management Centre throughout the journey, in order to report on the status and location of the transport. Similarly, it is the task of the Traffic Management Centre to maintain a real-time situational picture, coordinate information flow, direct requests from various parties to the right place, and inform road users, the media and (if necessary) the authorities about the special transport.
“Journey leg notifications are made according to the real-time location of the transport at two-hour intervals. If something happens to the transport, the transport manager will immediately inform the Traffic Management Centre of the disruption,” says Viljanen.
The Traffic Management Centre also predicts road traffic along the transport’s planned route. If a non-related accident occurs along the special transport’s route, the Traffic Management Centre can order the special transport to stop and wait until the accident site has been cleared.
Things to remember when you’re driving along the same road as a special transport
It is not worth getting stressed when you meet a special transport on the road, even if you are in a hurry and the large transport is moving at a frustratingly slow pace. A special transport will always let the following line of cars go past whenever it reaches a safe place to do so. At worst, a miscalculation on your part could cause an accident or lead to traffic standing still for a long time.
“It’s important for people to grasp the true size of special transports and their impact on traffic. For example, a 95-metre-long special transport and its warning cars will result in a column of vehicles that is about half a kilometre long. Drivers cannot expect to overtake this column in the same way as other traffic, and must understand that their actions will have consequences on the safety and smooth flow of traffic as a whole,” says Viljanen.
Drivers should follow traffic bulletins or use Fintraffic’s Traffic Situation service, so that they will have advance warning of any special transports along their route. If possible, it is advisable to plan your route and schedule so as to avoid any special transports.
But what do you do when you encounter a special transport? Always slow down and move to the side of the road when you see the warning vehicles that accompany a special transport. If the traffic controller signals you to stop, you should stop as close to the edge of the road as possible. Always obey the traffic controller’s instructions – they are as legally binding as those of the police in a similar situation.
Fintraffic is a nerve centre for information about road traffic, and sends 10,000 traffic bulletins each year. We ensure that information about incidents and exceptional circumstances is received by different authorities, such as the police and rescue services, and also by other operators, such as roadside contractors and maintenance. Even though the coronavirus pandemic has reduced traffic volumes by 10% on main roads, the number of special transports multiplied in spring 2021 compared to previous years. At our Traffic Management Centre, we work round the clock to ensure that road traffic remains smooth and safe for all road users in spite of the increasing number of special transports.
