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Nuremberg looks to Helsinki: How to avoid traffic deaths!
Nuremberg is struggling with increasing traffic deaths. The comparison with Helsinki highlights the need for improvement in road safety.
Nuremberg looks to Helsinki: How to avoid traffic deaths!
If you look at Helsinki, it almost seems like a miracle: the Finnish capital has not had a single traffic fatality for a year. At the same time, cities like Nuremberg, which have similar population sizes, have to deal with increasing numbers of traffic fatalities. There were eleven deaths in Nuremberg in 2024, five more than in the previous year, which makes it clear that there is a need for action here. BR reports that Nuremberg's construction officer Daniel Ulrich recognizes that his city is behind in traffic safety - they have fallen behind Helsinki by a full 20 years.
But what are the reasons for the success in Helsinki? The city administration attributes the positive development to the expansion of 30 km/h zones and better conditions for pedestrians. The Nuremberg energy in traffic safety is noticeable, but the numbers are alarming. After all, Germany's traffic fatality rate is around 2,770 per year. For Nuremberg this means a rate of one traffic fatality per 50,000 inhabitants, while the German average is approximately one per 30,000 inhabitants.
Concrete measures in view
Nuremberg is committed to “Vision Zero”, which includes a 40 percent reduction in traffic deaths by 2030. But what does that actually mean? The philosophy of “Vision Zero” aims to achieve zero traffic deaths and injuries. Similar trends can also be observed in other cities, such as ZDF reports, where many cities are increasingly creating 30 km/h zones and relying on protected cycle paths.
In Nuremberg, surveys show that 81 percent of those surveyed find safety on cycle paths to be inadequate. The situation is particularly dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians - of the eleven deaths in 2024, four were cyclists and pedestrians, two were motorcyclists and one was in a car. The causes also lie in traffic, where trucks often overlook cyclists and pedestrians. An effective tool in other cities is turning assistants, which are widely used in Finland. This technology could also promise success in Nuremberg.
Security through education
Another key to improving traffic safety in Nuremberg lies in traffic education. Older people in particular should be trained in how to use traffic lights and zebra crossings. The city has not had a single dead student on the way to school for years - a positive trend that will hopefully continue. Visionzero.org describes that all relevant accident data is processed in order to identify trends and adapt measures. Effective traffic education could play a crucial role.
The frustration with the increasing number of traffic accidents in German cities is understandable, and as Helsinki shows, there are solutions that work. Therefore, cities like Nuremberg should not only overcome the fear of new measures, but also the determination to improve road safety for all residents.