A recent survey commissioned by Liikenneturva, a Finnish traffic safety agency, has found that one-third of young people in Finland feel that the process of obtaining a driver's license for personal vehicles is too lenient. The survey, conducted by Taloustutkimus, included responses from 811 individuals aged 15 to 24, with 463 of them currently holding a driver's license. This concern arises as the Finnish government is in the process of revising its driver's license legislation, which is set to be presented in Parliament next week, aiming to enhance the required knowledge and skills for aspiring drivers.

The proposed legislative changes, as indicated by Liikenneturva, are necessary as Finland ranks poorly among Nordic countries regarding youth traffic safety in relation to its population size. Pasi Anteroinen, the CEO of Liikenneturva, emphasized that the current level of education provided is inadequate for new drivers. The proposed changes include extending driver education to include three additional theory lessons and one practical driving lesson, which, while modest in scope, are seen as positive advancements towards improving learner preparedness.

In addition to the increase in educational requirements, other contemplated amendments in the draft law indicate stricter regulations on the granting of driving permits to minors and the conditions under which young drivers may operate vehicles at night. These modifications reflect a growing recognition of the need to bolster safety measures for younger drivers as Finland seeks to improve its traffic safety metrics for this demographic.