Road traffic rules and behaviour in traffic
The A1 theory exam draws a large share of its questions from this domain. It tests the general rules of the Finnish road (the Road Traffic Act in force since 1 June 2020) as a light motorcycle rider meets them: who yields at a junction, how fast you may ride, where you position yourself, how you signal and how you overtake.
Keep right, stay visible
Finland drives on the right. Ride on the right of the carriageway but not hard against the edge: hugging the kerb leaves you no escape space and hides you from drivers pulling out of side roads. Position yourself where a driver's mirror and side window will catch you. A dipped headlight is compulsory at all times.
Priority
- Unmarked junction: yield to traffic approaching from the right, and to anyone already in the junction.
- Turning left: yield to oncoming traffic; when turning, yield to pedestrians and cyclists crossing the road you enter.
- Leaving a private road, yard, car park or petrol station: yield to everyone.
- Roundabout: vehicles already circulating have priority; you yield on entry.
- Trams: give way to trams unless signs or signals say otherwise.
- A vehicle stopped at a zebra crossing signals a pedestrian - you must not overtake it.
Speed and distance
Built-up areas default to 50 km/h, the open road to 80 km/h, motorways 120 km/h (100 km/h in winter); signs override the defaults. The operative rule is that you must be able to stop within the distance you can see to be clear, so a signed limit is a maximum, never a target.
Overtaking
Overtake on the left after signalling, and never at crossings, blind crests or junctions with short sight lines. When passing a cyclist leave at least 1 m in a built-up area and 1.5 m elsewhere.
Worked example
An unsignposted crossroads: a van approaches from your right, indicating left across your path. It goes first. The indicator does not change priority; at an unmarked junction you yield to the right, and the van must itself yield to oncoming traffic before turning. If your road carried the yellow diamond of a priority road, the van would face a yield line and you would proceed - after checking that the junction is clear and the crossing empty.
Traps
A green light is not permission to proceed blindly. Turning right on red is not allowed in Finland. A yield sign does not always demand a full stop, but you must approach so that you could stop. Never rely on another driver's indicator alone.