Drink-driving survey in Finland: Fewer and fewer people take to the road after consuming alcohol
18.09.2026 - In 2026 drink-driving roadside surveys, the police breath-tested approximately 63,000 drivers. Long-term follow-up shows that the proportion of drivers who have consumed alcohol has been declining. However, the number of actual drink-driving offences has remained at the level of previous years or increased slightly.
In the 2026 survey, one in every 595 drivers (0.17%) exceeded the legal limit for drink-driving, and one in every 271 drivers (0.37%) had alcohol in their system but below the legal threshold. The number of drivers who had consumed alcohol has been decreasing for several consecutive years. 17 suspected drug-driving offences were detected, which is 11 fewer than in the previous year.
“It is encouraging that fewer and fewer people take to the road after consuming alcohol. However, every drink-driving offence is one too many, as even a small amount of alcohol impairs driving ability and increases the risk of accidents. The safest choice is always to leave the car parked if you have consumed alcohol,” reminds Police Inspector Heikki Ihalainen of the National Police Board.
The drink-driving roadside survey has monitored Finnish drivers’ fitness to drive for almost 50 years
The police have conducted the drink-driving roadside survey in the spring and autumn since 1979. In the survey, all drivers arriving at a control point are breath-tested and the results are recorded. The survey was not carried out between 2019 and 2021 due to Finland’s EU Presidency period and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: Poliisi.fi
