In the Vitebsk region, traffic police crews assisted over 20 drivers in starting their stalled vehicles in the frost over the weekend. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by Nadezhda Kasperovich, Head of the Agitation and Propaganda Department of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee (State Automobile Inspectorate).
Traffic police officers switched to an enhanced duty regime at the end of December 2023, as the holiday period sees a higher volume of motorists and pedestrians on the roads. "Weather conditions also prompted adjustments to the traffic police's operations, making the weekend busy in terms of providing assistance to drivers. People often sought help when their vehicles (especially those with diesel engines) froze up. Our officers assisted drivers on highways, in cities, and settlements, and offered motorists hot tea to help them warm up. Over the past weekend, officers provided assistance to over 20 drivers," noted the Head of the Agitation and Propaganda Department. "Assistance was most frequently required by motorists in Vitebsk, Sharkovshchina, Postavy, and Polotsk – these are the districts where the most incidents were recorded. However, such work is carried out throughout the entire region."
Some drivers not only expressed gratitude for the support but also contacted the 102 hotline. "Yesterday in Sharkovshchina, a local resident called and thanked the traffic police officers for not driving past and for offering assistance in the frost to start his car, which had stopped moving at a certain point," explained Nadezhda Kasperovich.
With the start of the new term in secondary educational institutions, traffic police crews have intensified their monitoring of the road situation near schools. The focus is on nearby pedestrian crossings and institutions located close to the roadway.
In the first days of January, a challenging situation regarding child injuries was observed in the northern region, according to the traffic police. Over the weekend in Vitebsk, a child pedestrian was hit by a car and sustained a fractured shoulder. Another accident occurred in Lepel, where a child emerged onto the road from behind parked cars. Fortunately, due to the low speed of the approaching vehicle, the young pedestrian was unharmed.
"From January 8th, traffic police officers are on duty near educational institutions during morning hours. Efforts are directed towards both child pedestrians and drivers transporting schoolchildren, ensuring compliance with regulations for carrying minors in vehicles. The emphasis is on the morning hours, however, control is organised throughout the day, including dismissal times," stated Nadezhda Kasperovich.vic. - Attention is focused on educational institutions in order to control all child movement flows."
Source: belta.by