The Fintraffic Road Traffic Centre urges motorists to be wary of elk crossing roads at this time of year.
On Friday, the agency warned of the heightened risk of collisions, especially in the morning and evenings in areas where the European elk — a close relative of the North American moose — is common.
"Keep an eye on the shoulder of the road"
There are more of the large mammals on the move now due to the autumn hunting season, the animals' rutting season and migration to winter pastures, the centre says.
There were over 1,650 elk collisions in Finland last year, up by almost 10 percent from the previous two years. Most elk accidents occur at dawn and dusk in the autumn.
"It is particularly important to adapt driving speed and be prepared to stop at short notice in areas where a game fence starts or ends,” said Fintraffic’s Eero Sauramäki in a press release.
"The right situational speed and sufficient safety distances give us valuable additional seconds. Foresight, efficient use of high beams and keeping an eye on the shoulder of the road are important now," he went on to say.
Most crashes in Northern Ostrobothnia
Last year, Northern Ostrobothnia, including the Oulu region, recorded the most elk-related crashes with 163. Uusimaa, covering the capital region, followed with 153, and Central Finland, around Jyväskylä, had 137.
There have been around 600-700 elk accidents between September and November over the past two years. March is the month with the lowest statistical risk of hitting an elk.
Between 2021 and 2023, there was one fatal moose accident each year, according to the Finnish Road Safety Council (Liikenneturva). None were reported last year, but there have already been at least two this year.
The elk is Finland’s biggest mammal. A large bull can measure nearly three metres from nose to tail and weigh up to 700kg.
