Comme j'imagine que ca n'intéresse pas grand monde 
, mieux vaut passer directement à la nouvelle loi finlandaise!The New Year brings in a number of items of traffic legislation that will have an impact on our everyday lives, and which in some cases could result in fines for failure to adhere to the new rules.
One that will affect everyone, even if it carries no immediate sanctions, is the use by pedestrians of reflectors ( http://www.snt-group.net/seemee/suomi/seemee.htm ) when walking after dark. The new law requires all pedestrians should carry some form of reflector, even in built-up areas with street lighting, and regardless of whether there is a sidewalk for pedestrians to walk on.
At present, the wording of the law allows it to be taken more as a strong recommendation (being seen IS pretty important when a 16-wheeler truck is bearing down on you) than as an obligation, and police have said that fines will not be given for failure to comply. Equally, the lack of a reflector, whilst rather foolish, is not enough to reduce insurance claims in the case of an accident.
Personnellement, je trouve ca assez utile, parce que mine de rien, les réflecteurs marchent vraiment bien. Au début c'est un peu bizarre de voir des trucs comme ca pendouiller au manteau de tout le monde, mais on s'y fait. Il n'y a pas longtemps un étudiant étranger qui venait vraisemblablement d'arriver en Finlande m'a dit, en me montrant mon réflecteur, que j'avais dû oublier d'enlever l'étiquette de mon manteau...
A similar system will be in force for the use of helmets by cyclists. As a rule cyclists and their passengers (children in baby-seats) must from now on wear a suitable helmet. Even without the possible repercussions of being fined for not wearing a reflector or a helmet, it is believed that the somewhat stricter wording will increase the use of both items.
Ca aussi à mon avis c'est très utile, d'autant plus que faire du vélo dans de la neige ou du verglas relève souvent de l'acrobatie!
Other traffic legislation edicts to come into force from January 1, 2003 include the obligation for drivers to use a hands-free unit with their mobile phone if they wish to make or receive a call while on the move.
This one, widely advertised in advance, WILL get you into trouble with the law if you are caught, although police have admitted that it will be somewhat hard to enforce, just as the compulsory use of seat-belts is.
The sending of SMS messages while driving is also henceforth prohibited, but drivers are still able to find countless ingenious ways of distracting their attention from the road, by lighting cigarettes, switching CDs or cassettes, trying to find the map from the glove compartment, reaching into the back seat for their briefcase, or reading the details of an upcoming meeting.
C'est là qu'on voit la différence avec la France...
Source: http://www.helsinki-hs.net/news.asp?id=20030102IE7
