Improper transportation and young drivers without a license. The State Traffic Inspectorate explained who is most likely to get into accidents and how to avoid them.

Viktor Rotchenkov, Head of the Main Directorate of the State Traffic Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, describes children as the most vulnerable segment of the population . They are involved in various accidents every day, including fires and water accidents. Perhaps the most common are road accidents involving children. All prevention agencies pay special attention to preventing child injuries year-round, and the State Traffic Inspectorate views it as a key priority. Viktor Rotchenkov, Head of the Main Directorate of the State Traffic Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, spoke to a BELTA correspondent about the situation in the country this year and its preventive efforts.

An increase in child road traffic injuries has been observed in the first five months of this year. Among the fatally injured children, seven were passengers, four were pedestrians, and one was a minor driver. Statistics show that child passengers are the most common participants in road accidents – 41.9% of all injured children, seven of whom did not survive the accidents. "Moreover, every second minor passenger was transported in violation of established rules. It's important to remember that adults bear full responsibility for the safety of children in cars. Some find ways to protect their children, while others think nothing will happen. There are also cases where a car has a child seat, but the child is carried in their arms. The price of such carelessness is life," noted Viktor Rotchenkov.

He cited an incident that occurred in January of this year, when a driver lost control due to weather conditions and the car, sliding into a ditch, overturned. The little girl was in her mother's arms at the time, even though the car had a car seat. She would have turned two in May, but she didn't survive. "And the carelessness of parents is to blame. Children can be capricious and ask to be picked up, but we must remember that this is unsafe," added the head of the Main Directorate of the State Traffic Inspectorate.

In the first five months of this year, 63 children were injured in pedestrian accidents, four of them fatal. "More than half of accidents occur at pedestrian crossings. We've taught children that they can only cross the road at designated crossing points. Those who suddenly run out onto the roadway or cross outside of a pedestrian crossing are very rare," Viktor Rotchenkov emphasized. "Whereas we previously taught them to look left and right before crossing, we now teach them to stop at the edge of the roadway to ensure drivers have noticed and are letting them cross. This is especially true on roads with multiple lanes of traffic. Drivers' distractions with phones have also become a problem: in a moment, you might not notice a child. Children tend to suddenly run out onto the road; they're always in a hurry, because they're confident they're safe at a pedestrian crossing. And, in essence, that's how it should be, but modern realities dictate that we need to be sure of our own safety."

"Again, I'll give an example from the beginning of this year, when in Minsk a driver failed to yield to pedestrians at an uncontrolled crossing and struck a ten-year-old boy. He died instantly. He wasn't alone, but with his mother. This clearly demonstrates that everyone needs to be extremely careful on the road at all times," Viktor Rotchenkov emphasized.

Most minors involved in accidents are caused by the fault of adults—79% in the first five months of this year. "And now, in the summer, it is doubly important to focus drivers' attention on children. By the way, it is for this purpose that we are holding a special comprehensive event, 'Attention - Children!' during the transition period, when schools are ending, minors feel free, everyone is in the courtyards, on the streets, and they need time to adapt to the new conditions," he noted. "Children on bicycles, as well as those using personal mobility devices, require increased attention. There have been 29 such injuries recorded in the country, 17 of them at pedestrian crossings. In this regard, a bill is being developed to make them all dismount when crossing the road. Now they are allowed not to dismount, and it turns out that they simply fly across pedestrian crossings. Although they must cross it at the speed of a walking pedestrian, and children under 14 are not allowed to ride a bicycle or scooter anywhere except in a pedestrian zone and in the adjacent territory. The road is a place of increased danger, and even letting " If a driver is driving a scooter, they might not notice a child speeding along on a pedestrian."

"Overall, the statistics are the same as last year. But we still insist that the bill needs to be amended to require everyone to dismount at pedestrian crossings. This is for greater safety," Viktor Rotchenkov emphasized.

Child drivers are increasingly appearing in the news. "Such cases have always existed, but not on such a large scale. Eleven unlicensed minors were injured in accidents, which is four more than in the same period last year. In one of the most recent cases, which occurred in the Smolevichi district, two 17-year-olds died. They decided to ride a motorcycle, the driver lost control and crashed into a tree. They died at the scene. Both were not wearing motorcycle helmets, and were also in a state of"The driver was intoxicated —his blood alcohol level was 3.3 ppm," the head of the State Traffic Inspectorate said.

"We constantly remind parents that before allowing their child to drive, they must learn to drive and obtain the appropriate category driver's license. From age 16, they can take a theory test at the State Traffic Inspectorate and obtain a category AM license for driving a moped or scooter. Light motorcycles with an engine displacement of up to 125 cc and a maximum power of up to 11 kW can also be self-study, taking the theory test and driving exam to obtain an A1 license. After a year, they are eligible to take the Category A test; if starting from scratch, they must attend a driving school," he reminded.

All cases of child deaths and injuries are treated as emergencies and undergo a comprehensive review in conjunction with education authorities. "Based on the results of such inspections, a set of corrective measures is developed and implemented to address gaps in educational and preventive work and improve traffic management. Experience shows that full and effective implementation of measures is only possible with the coordinated and coordinated work of all relevant agencies, public organizations, and the media," the head of the State Traffic Inspectorate (GAU) is confident.

Viktor Rotchenkov noted that the agency's main efforts are focused on the comprehensive implementation of organizational and practical measures to foster law-abiding behavior and instill road safety skills in children. "Road conditions are also being improved, especially near schools and kindergartens," he added. "Compared to statistics from 20 years ago and today, the rate of child road injuries has significantly decreased." This is all thanks to the efforts being made – children are taught traffic rules and how to behave on the road. Traffic police officers are constantly present at all events, where, in addition to various quizzes and games, they also test scooter driving skills. Particular attention is paid to traffic management near schools.

Incidentally, for safety reasons, the traffic police are constantly doing everything possible to prevent tragedies. "For example, regarding child passengers, we want to review the liability of parents who transport children improperly. This is due to the increasing number of injured and killed child passengers and the fact that many repeat offenses after being warned," he noted.

All traffic police officers are assigned to work teams, schools, and kindergartens, and they visit them monthly, conducting discussions, quizzes, and practical exercises with children. "We work intensively with parents and drivers, explaining what to look out for. Furthermore, we have special social media chats with all schools, where the deputy head of educational work posts all the latest information, statistics, films, and cartoons. This format is especially effective in the summer, when children are everywhere," added Viktor Rotchenkov. "This summer, we initiated a preventative measure called 'Parental Control.' Our main goal is to preserve the lives and health of our children, ensuring their safety as road users."

BELTA