Image: Ismo Pekkarinen / AOP

Starting today, police in Finland will be authorised to punish lower speeding offenses. In practice, this means that infractions of just seven kilometres per hour over the speed limit will warrant a ticket.

The previous policy stated that driving eight or more kilometres over the limit was grounds for a summary fine. The new tougher policy applies to spot fines only.

Before the stricter policy came into effect, only a warning was issued to people driving between three and seven kilometres faster that the sanctioned limit in Finland. In Sweden, for example, the threshold for incurring a fine is as low as six kilometres an hour over the limit.

According to the new guidelines, the police will concentrate their traffic monitoring efforts at various high-risk locations, like near day care centres and schools.

The lower speeding fine threshold is also expected to create a few million euros more in revenue for the state.