Road Safety Awareness Day

On 26 October 2018, a Unified Road Safety Day is held in the Republic under the slogan "Stop, Pedestrian, Brake the Wheels!".

On 26 October 2018, a Unified Road Safety Day is held in the Republic under the slogan "Stop, Pedestrian, Brake the Wheels!".

Autumn has arrived, bringing with it rain and fog. The daylight hours are getting shorter. The change of seasons is a challenging time for both drivers and pedestrians, as autumn, besides beautiful natural landscapes, unfortunately also brings an increase in road accidents. Everything changes: the duration of daylight, visibility and road conditions, as well as the behaviour of others.

Most accidents occur during darkness. Often, the main cause is the disregard for basic safety measures and the excessive self-confidence of pedestrians. Some pedestrians, for some reason, believe that in any situation, a driver sees them and must avoid them. However, it is difficult to spot a pedestrian in the dark.

Many incidents could have been avoided if pedestrians used retroreflective elements, so-called "flickers," during darkness. This is a unique way to protect oneself from trouble on dark streets and roads.

In addition, pedestrians, when pedestrian crossings are visible, must cross the roadway (streets) at these crossings. Before starting to cross, they are obliged to ensure that entering the roadway is safe (Clause 17.2 of the Traffic Regulations), i.e., to stop at the edge of the roadway, look around, make sure that drivers have noticed them and have managed to stop their vehicles. When crossing the roadway, it is necessary to stop talking on a mobile phone, turn off headphones, and hold young children by the hand.

It is worth reminding that according to the Traffic Regulations, when approaching an unregulated pedestrian crossing, the driver must move at a speed that will allow them to yield to pedestrians if necessary. The driver's actions at an unregulated crossing must be such that a pedestrian, while moving across the crossing, is not forced to change the direction and/or pace of their movement. If a vehicle has stopped (is stopped) or has slowed down before a pedestrian crossing, then drivers of other vehicles moving in adjacent lanes in the same direction are obliged to reduce their speed and, if there are pedestrians, yield to them. A driver who fails to yield to a pedestrian crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing is subject to administrative liability in the form of a fine ranging from 24 Belarusian rubles 50 kopecks to 73 Belarusian rubles 50 kopecks. For committing such an offense repeatedly within a year, the fine increases to 122 Belarusian rubles 50 kopecks.