A veteran traffic police officer in Southwest Finland reports a dramatic shift in young driver behavior over recent decades. Senior Constable Markus Lehtiö now encounters over two hundred speeding youths annually, with modified vehicles becoming increasingly common and dangerous.
Lehtiö explains how vehicle choice directly connects to showing off among teenagers. Young drivers operating powerful rear-wheel drive cars tend to accelerate aggressively and drift in traffic more frequently than their peers. The modification of mopeds and other vehicles has become widespread and often creates serious safety hazards.
The experienced officer urges young people to courageously intervene when friends drive dangerously. He suggests parents should pay close attention when teenagers want powerful rear-wheel drive cars as their first vehicles. Statistics show these drivers often engage in more risky behavior than other young motorists.
Practical experience demonstrates that drivers who obtained licenses through age exemptions appear disproportionately in serious traffic safety violations. Lehtiö's patrol recently stopped a 17-year-old driving at excessive speeds just four hours after receiving their license. The reckless behavior led to criminal charges and driving prohibition.
More young people obtain licenses through age exemptions while driving instruction hours have decreased. Police frequently observe mobile phone use during driving, with teens selecting music or messaging friends instead of focusing on the road.
Young people demonstrate remarkable skill at modifying everything from mopeds to electric scooters and tractor ATVs. These modifications often increase speed capabilities and succeed far too easily according to traffic authorities. Tinkering frequently becomes dangerous when engines get swapped in smaller vehicles.
Lehtiö's team recently stopped a moped containing a 160cc engine replacement. Such modifications risk lives when vehicles designed for 45 km/h speeds receive engines capable of reaching 150 km/h. Braking systems on these modified vehicles often prove completely inadequate for the increased power.
Peer pressure creates familiar challenges for traffic police. Young drivers maintaining legal speed limits on standard mopeds may feel embarrassed about falling behind friends. Lehtiö emphasizes that passengers should never yield to such pressure and must speak up when drivers operate vehicles too fast or carelessly.
Traffic police regularly encounter cars traveling at 200 km/h containing groups of teenagers. During summer months, these incidents can occur weekly. Lehtiö acknowledges the difficulty of speaking up in such situations but stresses the necessity of finding one's voice to demand slower speeds.
When situations end badly, the consequences weigh heavily on officers. Police may confront deceased young people at accident scenes before delivering tragic news to grieving families. Lehtiö understands youth enthusiasm from personal experience but maintains clear perspective about traffic dangers through his professional work.
The 45-year-old officer recalls his own youthful driving experiences in Turku, including neighborhood racing in a friend's Alfa Romeo. He recognizes the foolish behavior of his younger years while maintaining that traffic safety remains non-negotiable in his current role. Every ticket he writes aims to potentially save another person's life.
This situation reflects broader concerns about young driver education and vehicle modification culture in Finland. As driving instruction decreases and modification knowledge increases, authorities face growing challenges ensuring road safety. The combination of powerful vehicles, peer pressure, and limited training creates perfect conditions for tragic outcomes without continued vigilance and education.