Road deaths and accidents in Estonia have been on an upward trend for the last five years, pushing authorities to find innovative ways to combat the problem. Experts say there is little demand in society for road safety measures.

The campaign was launched by the PPA just before the midsummer holiday last month (June 23-24), a time when the agency routinely increases traffic patrols to catch drink drivers. It aims to celebrate those following the rules.

Since then, officers have been handing out postcards and stickers to "exemplary" drivers whom they pull over but are not found to have broken any laws.

The postcards feature a picture of a woman dressed as Death, in black robes and holding a scythe, standing in front of Paris' Eiffel Tower and sitting on a deckchair on the beach in Hawaii. "Greetings from Paris" and "Greetings from Hawaii" are also printed on the cards.

A black postcard decorated with daisies and skulls says: "Give Death a day off, drive safely!"

The postcards are linked to a song which shows Death and her friends dancing with their scythes and enjoying time at a summer house in the countryside.

"The unique approach of the campaign stems from the fact that traffic safety is usually addressed through drivers, passengers, and other road users. However, this time we offer a fresh perspective by showing what happens in traffic through the eyes of Death," Marlen Miilaste, a PPA press officer, told ERR News. 

"For Death, someone's death means work, and the more people take unnecessary risks on the road, the harder Death has to work. Naturally, Death is happy when people travel responsibly, as this gives Death a chance to rest," she explained.

Miilaste said the reaction to the campaign has been positive.

"At first, drivers were a bit confused, but as the officers explained the reasons in more detail, people began to understand and connected it with the campaign song they had heard on the radio. Overall, the campaign was well received, with particular praise for the unique approach taken with the video and the song," she said.

The campaign will run until all the postcards and stickers have been handed out.

Over the midsummer weekend, the police checked more than 23,000 drivers' state of intoxication and found 103 to be under the influence of alcohol. The authorities also caught 100 people exceeding the speed limit.

Celebrating good drivers

The idea for the campaign came from the creative agency Not Perfect, which operates across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The company's creative director, Vadym Tkachuk, told ERR News the brief from the PPA was a road safety campaign celebrating drivers who set a good example for others.  

"Death is usually portrayed as something dark and negative, someone who is chasing people and wants them dead. We decided to flip it. We showed that for Death this is a regular job and like all of us, she also wants to have some rest, especially during holidays," he said.

"So, Death became the one celebrating all the good drivers who help keep her away from work."

Due to the campaign's limited budget, Tkachuk said it was important to do something that stood out.

He also praised the police, calling the agency "one of the bravest clients" that Not Perfect has ever worked with: "I think it's something in their DNA. I wish more clients were just as brave when it comes to making creative decisions."

Feedback from the public has also been positive, Tkachuk said. "We're very proud of that. Sometimes you make something that's recognized within the industry, maybe even wins some award, but when regular people write to you and say how much they love it, that's a completely different feeling. That's when you realize it really works."

This is Not Perfect's second campaign with the PPA. Last Christmas, the message focused on the impact domestic violence has on children.

Time-outs and 'black' Christmas cards

This is not the first time the Estonian police have tried to improve road safety with innovative campaigns.

For the last 15 years, the PPA has sent "black Christmas cards" to repeat traffic offenders in December to warn them of the consequences of dangerous driving. Cards usually include images of traffic accidents and a message.

In 2024, the image depicted a man in a wheelchair who had been injured in a collision.

To make it on the PPA's Christmas card list, a driver needs to have committed four offences over the last year. Last year, they were sent to 850 people – an increase of 237 on the year before.

PPA Lieutenant Colonel Sirle Loigo said the rise in recipients is a clear sign that the traffic situation is deteriorating.

"Today, we need to fear fellow road users more than robbers, because you can never be sure a reckless driver won't end up killing or seriously injuring you," Loigo said in a press release in December.

The most frequent offenders were young men aged 20–24 with secondary education and Estonian citizenship. Twenty-five women were on 2024's list also.

The PPA have also tried to combat speeding with "time out" sessions. First-time offenders are given the option of a fine or a wait of at least 45 minutes before continuing on their way. PPA spokesperson Miilaste said the agency is about to restart the project.

Rising traffic deaths

Estonia's traffic fatalities rose to 70 last year, continuing a five-year trend from 59 in 2020, data from the PPA shows. Experts say there is an urgent need for stronger traffic safety measures and reforms.

According to data from the Transport Administration, the number of traffic accidents has increased by a quarter over the past five years, from 1,406 accidents in 2020 to 1,837 in 2024.

Martin Lengi, director of the strategic planning department at the Transport Administration, told ERR in January that progress has stalled and there is little interest in road safety in society.

"Estonians' traffic behavior has not improved — if anything, it has worsened. In recent years, the number of accidents, injuries and fatalities have all increased. The statistics for 2024 are especially shocking and highlight in the most dramatic way the need for traffic safety to become a priority on political, social and personal levels," he said.

"At the traffic safety roundtable held on October 15 of last year in Tallinn, both Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the European Transport Safety Council, and Kimmo Pylväs, deputy director general of Finland's Transport and Communications Agency, expressed the opinion that there is no societal demand for traffic safety here," he added.

Lengi said preparations for a traffic safety program for 2026–2035 are underway.

Audit Office: Not enough funds diverted to road safety

The National Audit Office found in February last year that road traffic safety is not a political priority.

Despite the traffic safety program's stated aim of reducing road fatalities and serious injuries, the number of victims has not fallen in recent years.

"The current traffic safety program is full of empty promises and Estonia is far from achieving its national traffic safety goals," Auditor General Janar Holm said at the time.

"Although objectives have been set, they are not supported by sufficient funding or concrete actions," he added.

Last year, the government scrapped plans for a points-based penalty system that would see drivers lose their licenses if they accrued too many points. The scheme is in effect in other EU countries and in the U.K.

"Any driver who speeds once should not feel threatened that they are under surveillance in some national system," said Sander Salmu, undersecretary for mobility at the Ministry of Climate, at the time.

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