There were 502 traffic accidents in Russia last weekend

Over the past weekend, 502 traffic accidents were recorded on Russian roads, in which 70 people were killed and 655 injured. 49 of the dead were drivers and passengers. This was reported to "Izvestia" on Monday, December 23, in the State Automobile Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

With the participation of buses 25 accidents were recorded, in which one person died, 43 more required medical care. The cause of 10 accidents with buses were violations of traffic rules committed by their drivers. Thus, in Ryazan, the driver of a city bus carrying 11 passengers drove off the road and crashed into a city lighting mast. As a result of the accident five passengers of the bus were injured and were hospitalized.

The traffic police urged drivers of passenger vehicles to observe traffic rules and driving discipline. Due to limited visibility at night in winter, as well as snow cover and ice on the roads, it is necessary to observe the speed limit and distance to be able to react in time to a possible sharp change in the traffic situation, noted in the department.

With participation of minors at the weekend 48 accidents were registered, as a result of which 55 young road users were injured, including 39 passengers. One child passenger died. Thus, in one of the settlements of Kursk region, a woman driver of a passenger car at a turn failed to cope with the control and drove off the road and collided with a tree. Her seven-year-old daughter, who was in the back seat and wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, died in the accident.

As a result of 138 pedestrian accidents, 21 people were killed and another 129 were injured of varying degrees of severity. The casualties included 15 child pedestrians, six of whom were injured at crosswalks. Of the total number of accidents with pedestrians, 51 occurred at crosswalks and 87 outside their zone of action.

In St. Petersburg, a woman driver of a passenger car did not give priority to traffic when turning at a regulated intersection and collided with a crossover moving in the opposite direction, after which the latter drove onto the sidewalk and hit pedestrians. As a result of the accident, one pedestrian was hospitalized with injuries, five more were sent for outpatient treatment after medical care. The driver of the crossover fled the scene of the accident, his search is underway.

"We recommend motorists to be careful and cautious when passing intersections. Never be in a hurry to start or continue driving when changing traffic signals, control the traffic situation. For safety reasons, drivers should exclude risky manner of driving, especially in winter weather, neglecting the established speed limit and making dangerous maneuvers, which often become the cause of traffic accidents with serious consequences," - stressed in a conversation with "Izvestia" Deputy Head of the Department of Propaganda of the State Automobile Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Police Colonel Anton Belan.

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Earlier, on December 20, the Federation Council approved at the plenary session of the law, which increases fines for a number of traffic violations, reduces the discount on payment of fines, and introduces punishment for repeated driving without a MTPL policy. The law should come into force on January 1, 2025.