Pedestrian Safety Campaign

For several years, the State Automobile Inspectorate across the Republic has been actively conducting preventive measures aimed at encouraging pedestrians to use retroreflective elements. However, despite all efforts, collisions with pedestrians and cyclists not equipped with retroreflective elements remain the primary cause of fatalities.

On November 7th, at 1:55 AM, a resident of Minsk, born in 1963, driving a Volvo vehicle on the Lepel-Polotsk-Russian Federation Border highway near the village of Shnitki, collided with an unemployed resident of Ushachi, born in 1979, who was walking along the edge of the roadway. As a result of the accident, the pedestrian sustained bodily injuries and was hospitalised in the intensive care unit of the UZ "Ushachi Central District Hospital".

On November 9th, at 8:20 PM, an unemployed resident of Vitebsk, born in 1982, driving a Daewoo Nubira vehicle on the Verkhnedvinsk-Polotsk-Latvian Border highway near the settlement of Borovukha-1, collided with an unemployed local resident, born in 1963, who was crossing the roadway outside of a pedestrian crossing. As a result of the accident, the female pedestrian sustained bodily injuries and was taken to the UZ "City Hospital of Novopolotsk", where she died in the emergency room of the surgical department at 8:15 PM.

On November 10th, at 6:45 PM, a resident of Vitebsk, born in 1964, driving a Peugeot-405 vehicle on the Vitebsk-Orsha highway near the village of Shapyry, collided with a citizen of the Russian Federation, born in 1961, who was walking along the roadway in the same direction. As a result of the accident, the pedestrian sustained bodily injuries and was hospitalised at the UZ "Vitebsk Regional Clinical Hospital".

On November 11th, at 7:30 PM, a resident of Minsk, born in 1971, driving a Hyundai Lantra vehicle on the 510 km of the Brest-Minsk-Russian Federation Border highway near the village of Kalyugi, collided with a resident of Orsha, born in 1972, who was crossing the roadway from left to right. As a result of the accident, the pedestrian died at the scene from the bodily injuries sustained.

On November 11 at 21:20, a resident of Vitebsk city, born in 1966, driving a MAZ-251062 bus, near house No. 13/1 on Moskovsky Avenue, hit a local resident, born in 1987, who was crossing the roadway at a regulated pedestrian crossing against a red traffic light. As a result of the road traffic accident, the pedestrian sustained bodily injuries and was hospitalised at the Vitebsk Regional Clinical Hospital.

On November 12 in Mogilev at 19:40, a driver born in 1997, a resident of the agro-town of Kolodishchi, Minsk District, driving a Volkswagen car, hit a local resident, born in 1983, who was crossing the roadway at an unregulated pedestrian crossing. She died, her daughter, born in 2009, a 3rd-grade pupil of the State Educational Institution "Gymnasium No. 4", and a man born in 1960, a local resident, were hospitalised.

From November 13 to November 22, 2017, a special set of measures called "PEDESTRIAN" is being carried out on the territory of the Vitebsk region. During this period, not only traffic police officers but also the entire police force are conducting activities aimed at preventing road traffic injuries involving pedestrians, including strengthening control over the use of retroreflectors by pedestrians in the dark.

However, pedestrians are not the only ones who are not visible in the dark. One should not forget about the need to equip bicycles and horse-drawn carts with retroreflective elements.

Despite the low cost of special elements used to equip bicycles and horse-drawn carts, not every owner takes care to properly equip their transport. Ultimately, such savings can lead to tragedy.

Head of the Traffic Police Department of the Lepel District Department of Internal Affairs
A.N. Trusov