In Russia, 181 accidents involving children occurred from 5 to 7 June.

The first summer weekend was marked by an increase in accidents involving minors. From Friday to Sunday (June 5-7), 181 accidents involving children under the age of 16 were recorded on Russian roads. 12 children died in these incidents, and another 198 were injured in various degrees of severity. This was reported to Izvestia on June 8 by the State Traffic Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

Of the injured, 87 minors were transported as passengers in passenger cars, 45 were pedestrians, another 66 were drivers, 25 of whom drove various types of motor vehicles.

In most cases, adult drivers who grossly violated traffic rules became the culprits of accidents involving minors, the department said. The list of such violations includes speeding, overtaking, and entering oncoming traffic.

Of the 12 young road users who died, nine were passengers, two were pedestrians, and one was driving a moped. Seven of them were transported with violations of safety requirements. Four child passengers died in an accident that occurred due to an exit from the road, while the perpetrators of two such accidents were drivers who did not have the right to drive. One motorist had previously been denied the right to drive, while the other had never been issued a driver's license before.

In order to avoid accidents involving children and teenagers in the summer, the State Traffic Inspectorate drew the attention of motorists to the need to reconsider their driving style by choosing the safest possible driving model. Unnecessary risks, speeding, overtaking, and entering oncoming traffic should be avoided, even in permitted areas. Reducing the speed and increasing the distance will help to avoid accidents. Caution on the road should always be observed, but it is especially important when there are children in the car, who must be transported in compliance with all applicable safety regulations, the department stressed.

In addition, the State Traffic Inspectorate urges drivers to strictly observe traffic regulations and be more careful on the roads of settlements and cities. Special care should be taken when driving through courtyards and residential areas, as well as maneuvering on them. Remember that the behavior of preschool and primary school-age pedestrian children is often unpredictable, so it is important to be constantly ready to respond to a possible change in the traffic situation at any moment.

In addition, parents should strictly monitor and prevent attempts by children and teenagers to get behind the wheel on their own during the summer period, as well as exclude the possibility for them to access the keys of cars, mopeds and motorcycles, prohibiting driving without appropriate rights and driving skills. Administrative responsibility is provided for providing the opportunity to drive vehicles to children who do not have a driver's license of the appropriate category.

The State Traffic Inspectorate reminded that minors can drive mopeds and motorcycles on public roads no earlier than the age of 16 after completing training and obtaining a driver's license. Cross-country motorcycles and pitbikes, which are sports equipment, should only be used on specialized tracks and only for motor sports. It is strictly forbidden to use them on ordinary roads, as well as in populated areas.

"Parents need to instill discipline and responsibility in their children. Adult road users should demonstrate safe behavior on the road by their own example, as well as regularly remind children of the need to strictly observe traffic rules. Remember that the lack of control over the behavior and leisure of children, especially in the evening, often leads to injuries or deaths of young road users," said Police Colonel Anton Belan, Deputy head of the Department for Road Safety Promotion and Prevention of Child traffic Injuries at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

During the first week of the summer season, 23 children were killed in car accidents on Russian roads, and 521 more were injured.

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