To save and preserve: Road accidents in Russia are becoming less frequent
According to the results of eleven months in Russia, the trend towards a decrease in the number of road accidents and the severity of their consequences has been maintained. Since the beginning of the year, the number of car accidents has decreased by 1.7%. For some types of accidents the decrease is significant, for others there is an increase. It is becoming more and more difficult to maintain the positive dynamics, the government commission on road safety noted. Izvestiya" found out what can be used to maintain the trend of reducing the number of road accidents.
A matter of national importance
From January to November in Russia there is a slight decrease in the number of deaths in traffic accidents (-0.7%). This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin at the meeting of the government commission on road safety. He noted that within the framework of the development of the country's road framework, the priority task is to improve traffic safety on the roads and save the lives of as many people as possible.
- The topic is very important and sensitive, because behind every figure here are the lives and health of Russians. It is becoming harder to maintain such dynamics from year to year. There are objective reasons for this - a large increase in motorization and traffic intensity, changes in the direction of freight and passenger flows. For example, on certain sections of federal highways we see an increase in traffic intensity from 10% to 100%, on average for the last couple of years the indicator has increased by 20-30%. Therefore, our priority tasks are not only to maintain the positive dynamics in reducing traffic accidents and deaths on the roads, but also to systematically engage in additional measures to improve the situation based on modern realities, - emphasized Marat Khusnullin.
He noted that the governors have been instructed to personally, in manual mode to deal with this direction, as well as to assess the growth of motorization in the regions. At the same time, according to the Deputy Prime Minister, special attention should be paid to the safety of pedestrians and prevention of child traffic injuries.
- We are planning to prepare a draft Strategy for improving road safety in Russia until 2030 with a view to 2036 in order to achieve the goals set by the President (to reduce the death rate in road accidents by 2030 by one and a half times, and by 2036 - by two times. - "Izvestia"). This work will be included in the national project "Infrastructure for Life", - said Marat Khusnullin.
Positive trends
According to operational data, 119,951 traffic accidents were recorded on Russian roads in eleven months, which is 1.7% less than in the same period of 2023, the State Automobile Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia told Izvestia. Victims of car accidents became 13 139 people (-0.7%), injuries were slightly more than 149 thousand (-2.6%), specified in the department.
The State Traffic Inspectorate notes that the tendency to a decrease in accident rates is recorded in a number of directions. Thus, for eleven months there were 7% fewer accidents involving drivers with signs of intoxication (12.2 thousand incidents), 4.3% reduction in the number of some of the most severe accidents associated with the departure on the opposite lane (9.3 thousand cases), 3.6% fewer pedestrian collisions (30.6 thousand incidents).
Under constant and special control of the State Automobile Inspectorate is the state of children's road traffic injuries. There has been a 5.7% decrease in the number of children (534 children) under the age of 16 who died, while the number of car accidents involving them has increased (by 4%) and the number of children injured (by 4.2%). Since the beginning of the year, 16,900 such accidents have been recorded, in which more than 18,000 children were injured.
According to statistics, 60.5% of children killed in road accidents were passengers, 22.1% were pedestrians, and 12% were drivers of motorcycles, mopeds and cars. Thus, the majority of children died in road accidents due to the fault of adults who did not put the child in a child seat, exceeded the speed limit, performed overtaking and other rash and dangerous maneuvers, which eventually led to the accident. The connivance of parents, who leave the keys to cars and motorcycles available for children and teenagers, is also the main cause of car accidents involving underage drivers, emphasize the traffic police.
Systematic approach
In a situation when the accident rate has noticeably gone down, it is not an easy task to maintain the tendency to reduce the number of accidents and the severity of their consequences, experts interviewed by Izvestia admit. This requires a comprehensive and systematic approach to road safety issues, which implies joint work of all ministries and agencies, parliamentarians, regional and municipal authorities and public organizations, they note.
The effectiveness of this approach has already been proven in previous years, the main thing is not to lose, but to multiply joint developments in this area, said Valery Soldunov, a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the All-Russian Society of Motorists. In his opinion, this work should be based primarily on the prevention of traffic violations and the promotion of safe and law-abiding behavior of all road users.
- Such work should start from the school bench. Yes, its results will not be visible instantly. But it is simply impossible to improve road safety at the snap of a finger. But in the long term, the effect of instilling in a child at the desk [the skill] of correct and law-abiding behavior on the road can have a very big effect," he said.
Valery Soldunov notes that it is impossible to achieve a reduction in the accident rate without sanctions for traffic offenders. However, first of all, it should be not about severity, but about the inevitability of punishment for such road users.
Igor Morzharetto, a member of the Presidium of the Public Council under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, agrees with him. At first glance, the easiest way to try to reduce the accident rate would be to increase fines, which was done recently, he said. However, toughening of punishment gives only a temporary and rather short-lived effect, the expert emphasized.
- It is necessary to have a precise impact on the most serious "pain points". There are examples of such an impact. We see that for a long time the number of accidents with drunk drivers has been constantly decreasing. This is the result of systematic and continuous work against such motorists: regular raids with "solid checks", active prevention of drunk driving, social campaigns on this topic, etc.," Igor Morzharetto told Izvestia.
The experience of the fight against drunk drivers should be extended to other traffic violations - the same transportation of children without a child seat or driving a car or motorcycle by teenagers, he added.
The problem with underage drivers of cars and motorcycles will not be solved without toughening the responsibility for parents, because of whose inattention or even with their tacit consent children and teenagers are behind the wheel of a car, motorcycle, pitbike or quad bike, believes Maxim Kadakov, editor-in-chief of the magazine "Za Rulem".
- Now in such a situation, parents, who did not watch their child, face a fine of 500 rubles. I doubt that anyone considers it as a serious punishment. Therefore, it is necessary to create a mechanism, including, perhaps, at the legislative level, so that such parents would be liable as for transferring control of a vehicle to a person who does not have a driver's license, - he believes.
The head of "Za Rulem" also calls the outdated road infrastructure a serious problem, without the solution of which it will be difficult to ensure the reduction of accident rates. Reconstruction of existing roads, their widening, installation of lighting, barriers, separating barriers, identification and elimination of potentially dangerous sections of highways, where the risk of accidents is high due to errors in design or non-compliance with certain regulations, is an essential part of the overall work to improve road safety, Maxim Kadakov noted.
