Police caught 4,600 motorists driving over the speed limit in a 24-hour speeding-related operation on Wednesday, coinciding with the start of the new school year. The heightened surveillance was announced in advance.
Traffic police deployed 19 specialised speed monitoring vehicles to spot heavy-footed drivers. Most motorists caught speeding were driving less than 15 kilometres per hour above the limit.
During the morning commute hours of 6-8 am, law enforcement intercepted some 1,000 violators as part of the operation. Police also switched on automatic speed cameras during the bust.
Heikki Ihalainen, chief superintendent at the National Police Board, said the targeted morning traffic as well as areas in close proximity to daycares and schools.
"We hope that this type of monitoring will encourage people to abide by the speed limit and look out for pedestrians," Ihalainen explained.