Save and preserve: a strategy has been adopted to improve road safety

By 2030, the number of deaths in road accidents in Russia should be reduced by one and a half times, and by 2036 — by half. This is the main goal of the "Strategy for improving Road Safety" approved by the head of state. Izvestia found out how it is planned to achieve such results.

Reduce the risks

On Friday, November 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree "Approving the Strategy for Improving Road Safety in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030 and for the future up to 2036." The strategy was developed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, taking into account a detailed analysis of the state of road safety, forecasts of the socio-economic development of the country, as well as the opinions of interested authorities, experts and the public.

The main goal of the Strategy is to reduce road deaths by one and a half times by 2030 and by two times by 2036 (compared to the level of 2023). Taking into account the fact that at the end of the year before last, slightly more than 14.5 thousand people died in road accidents in our country, in four years this figure should not exceed 9.9 thousand people, and over the next eleven years it will decrease to 7.5 thousand people per year.

The level of "transport risk" (the number of deaths in road accidents per 10,000 TC) should decrease from the current value of 2.28 to 1.57 and 1.18 by 2030 and 2036, respectively. The "social risk" (the number of deaths in road accidents per 100,000 inhabitants) is planned to be reduced to values of 6.8 and 5.1 — now this figure is 9.86.

Key areas

The adopted Strategy is a comprehensive fundamental document defining the goals, objectives and main directions of state policy in the field of road safety for the next 11 years, according to the Russian State Traffic Inspectorate. The special status is given to it by the fact that it was approved by decree of the President of the Russian Federation, unlike the previous document, which was adopted by government decree, the department emphasizes.

The Strategy identifies five main objectives aimed at reducing accidents and deaths on the roads. "Effective management" involves the introduction of new approaches to coordination and interaction between authorities at all levels, increasing their interest in road safety issues. Accelerated informatization and digitalization of this sphere, including the provision of public services and control and supervisory activities, is also planned.

"Culture on the roads and prevention" implies an emphasis on continuous training and education of a culture of behavior of road users, strengthening the fight against the main causes of fatal accidents: drunk driving, driving into the oncoming lane, non-compliance with the speed limit, hitting pedestrians. Special attention will be paid to "risk groups" — children, the elderly, and novice drivers. They are the ones who have a higher probability of becoming involved in an accident, according to the State Traffic Inspectorate.

The block "Modern and safe transport" is related to the issues of updating the Russian fleet, the active introduction of advanced active and passive safety systems into domestic cars. As part of this task, it is planned to take a set of measures to ensure road safety in the field of carsharing, delivery services and other transport services.

"Safe Roads" provide for the development and modernization of the road network and infrastructure that "forgives" human mistakes and minimizes their consequences. We are talking about the separation of traffic flows, the use of modern materials and technologies in road construction, and the creation of comfortable and safe conditions for the movement of pedestrians, cyclists, and SIM users. Separately, it is planned to solve the issues of developing road service facilities and covering highways with telephone and mobile communications.

In situations where all these measures have failed for one reason or another, and an accident has nevertheless occurred, the key task is to "Rescue those injured in an accident." It involves increasing the number of people with first aid skills for the wounded, increasing the speed of emergency services arriving at the scene, optimizing routes for delivering victims to medical institutions, developing air ambulance and so-called highway emergency medical centers.

A special place in the Strategy is given to digitalization and the introduction of new technologies, including those based on artificial intelligence. It is assumed that they will be actively used to monitor the traffic situation, create digital "doubles" of the road, and be used in intelligent transport systems to automate traffic and pedestrian flow control. In addition, Digit is planned to be implemented in the education and training of road users, as well as specialists in the field of road safety.

A plan of specific measures necessary to achieve the objectives set out in the Strategy must be developed and approved by the Government within six months.

It's difficult, but it's possible

Over the past two decades, Russia has already managed to more than halve the number of deaths in road accidents, the State Traffic Inspectorate reminds. The new Strategy will consolidate these successes, saving the lives and health of citizens, the department notes.

The adopted Strategy is the main document that defines the main directions of the state, all ministries and departments, regional and municipal authorities in the field of road safety for the coming years, said Igor Morzharetto, a member of the Presidium of the Public Council under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. The goals set out in it are very ambitious, he notes. However, it will be quite difficult to achieve them, the expert warns.

— The main difficulty is related to the fact that the accident and death rates on Russian roads have already decreased significantly in recent years. Global experience shows that further decline is proceeding at a much slower pace, as the available leverage and methods may no longer be as effective. Currently, the main focus should be on the prevention of law-abiding behavior of road users, their training, and comprehensive modernization of the road network. This will require coordination and tremendous joint work by absolutely all authorities, ministries and departments. If this condition is met, the benchmarks and indicators prescribed in the Strategy are quite realistic," Igor Morzharetto told Izvestia.

The main value of the new Strategy is that it identifies all the existing difficulties and factors affecting road safety, says Maxim Kadakov, editor-in-chief of Za Rulem.

— The document honestly talks, for example, about the problem of the aging of the Russian fleet, the weak implementation of modern active and passive safety systems in domestic car models. Other problems are also recognized: from the increase in accidents involving children and teenagers driving cars, motorcycles, pit bikes and other equipment, to an undeveloped infrastructure for SIM. This approach allows you to identify the main "pain points" and target them. Ultimately, this makes it possible to find the right levers and mechanisms that should ensure the achievement of the plans outlined in the Strategy to reduce accidents and deaths on our roads," Maxim Kadakov emphasized.