Changes to the Road Traffic Act, higher fines, road actions… And what of it, after cars are flying and crashing into buses. How did they solve the problems in Helsinki… Damian Voinovski, former executive director of the Automotive Administration Agency and an auto technical expert, spoke to FACTI.
- Mr. Voinovski, sanctions for road violations are being raised, higher fines, and imprisonment is now also envisaged, and at the same time cars are flying and crashing into buses. Do higher measures work…
- We have been observing for years that the main measures of the state to reduce road injuries are increasing sanctions and penalties for violators. Of course, justice and retribution for violators is important, but all efforts should not be directed only in this direction. We see that for 10 years there has been no particular success in reducing road accidents. Yes, in certain years the number of road fatalities decreases, but first of all this is not enough, based on EU statistics, and also the reduction in road fatalities is correlated with a decrease in the population of Bulgaria. All this suggests that we are doing something wrong, a real analysis of the causes of serious road accidents is needed and a long-term policy with specific measures and goals to reduce road injuries is developed. There are a number of measures and targeted policies that can be implemented. The good experience of developed countries can be applied, but for this purpose it is necessary to gather experts with proven experience in various areas of road safety and to identify specific targeted measures, and not to work piecemeal. Then I hope we will achieve real results.
- We talk about reducing injuries and victims on the road, but what are we doing. Or more precisely, what are we not doing as people, if we compare ourselves to other countries in the EU?
- I believe that one of the main problems is that we work piecemeal, we run after events, without conducting a broad analysis and undertaking long-term policies. For example, there is an accident with a heavy truck and inspections begin in transport companies, there is a serious accident involving a driver after drinking alcohol and after pressure from society, the penalties are changed and the Ministry of Interior actions begin. I will also criticize the media because they widely cover serious accidents and invite experts to discuss them, discuss changes to the regulatory framework, but there are no social programs and social advertisements related to road safety. A large part of our society, and especially many of the younger generation, are not sufficiently informed about road safety, about the results of high speeds, loss of priority, violation of the rules. A large part of young people view road traffic rules as a sanction if they catch you violating them, and not as a condition for reducing the prerequisites for road accidents. This is precisely why a targeted policy is needed, and this may be one of the measures - clarification of the basic safety rules from kindergarten, through school, through the media and, last but not least, employers. In many EU countries, there are good practices to encourage employers with large fleets to conduct additional periodic safety training among the company's drivers, to introduce ISO 39001 management systems. As trivial as it may sound, this leads to a reduction in both accidents with company cars and a reduction in losses for the company.
- Book, driver, car - what is the weak link in the system…
- Unfortunately, it is human nature to make mistakes. The better prepared a driver is, the less likely he is to find himself in situations where he can cause an accident. And this is because people can make mistakes. That is why standards are being developed in road infrastructure and automotive manufacturing that can reduce errors and/or their consequences. Unfortunately, in Bulgaria I cannot answer what the weak link is. We have significant gaps in road infrastructure, an old and poorly maintained fleet of vehicles, and many arrogant drivers. Policies are needed to improve safety in all three areas.
- The topic of educational qualifications and obtaining a license was raised again. In this sense, should we expect that a university graduate will be a better driver than someone with a secondary education…
- I do not in any way underestimate education, but I do not think that the lack of education should be an obstacle to obtaining a driving license. Yes, the driver must be literate, able to read, but this can happen without having the legally required 10th grade. In our case, the law itself contradicts itself. On the one hand, 10th grade is required to obtain a driving license, but to drive a bicycle, cart or the recently popular individual electric vehicles (scooters) on the road, nothing is required except age. For me, this is absurd. In order to be a good and responsible driver, it is necessary to pay attention to training in driving schools and, of course, the exam. That is where the energy of the examiners should be directed, and not on the presence or lack of education. If you graduate abroad, for example, you must have your diploma recognized in Bulgaria in order to be allowed to study and receive a driver's license. There is no other European country that has such a requirement for an educational qualification for a driver's license. And as can be seen from the statistics, this requirement in Bulgaria does not contribute in any way to greater road safety.
- In Helsinki, there has not been a single road victim caused by a traffic accident for a year. How do they do it?
- According to Ronni Utriainen, an engineer and road planning expert in Helsinki, several factors have contributed to this success. The basis of the success is the completely renewed transport concept. This is the result of a targeted policy and long-term planning that puts human life first. The main goal of the urban traffic concept was to increase the safety of children, pedestrians and cyclists.
In Helsinki, they have identified the most important routes for the safety of children, pedestrians and cyclists and have rebuilt their infrastructure accordingly in order to increase the safety of the most vulnerable road users. This includes reconstructing bike lanes and street lighting, improving signage, and networking with other cities and institutions. To identify dangerous road sections and areas with a high accident rate, Helsinki collects both crash and speed data and information from residents. This helps traffic planners understand how traffic works in the city and where changes need to be made.
Meanwhile, traffic safety training for children and young people has also been expanded.
According to the expert Utriaynen, increasing the use of public transport, which removes cars from the roads as much as possible, is also a priority. The city administration has invested significantly in the development of public transport - people drive less and road risks decrease.
A key component of the city's strategy is also increased traffic control, because strict enforcement of the rules acts as an effective preventive mechanism. Traffic control is an important prerequisite for the success of road safety measures. Coordination between the city and the police allows Helsinki to enforce traffic rules and control speed in the city.
"The police are responsible for speeding in Finland, but the city is responsible for setting up stationary checkpoints for the police to use, explains Utriainen. - We have found that checkpoints reduce the proportion of excessive speeding."
In general, the following picture of success emerges - analysis of a large number of data affecting traffic, identification of dangers, especially for vulnerable road users, a comprehensive strategy with a transport concept and a targeted policy with long-term planning that puts human life first and, last but not least, targeted constant control in coordination between law enforcement and the road administration. And let's not forget about strengthening safety training for children and young people.
- And in our country there is “strengthened“ control, because we hear that there are many actions on the road. But that doesn't stop cars from flying, literally, right…
- Yes, indeed, in our country we hear about numerous actions on the road, but the problem is that these are actions, not targeted constant control. Deep analyses are needed to establish the real causes of serious accidents and to work purposefully to eliminate the causes of their occurrence. When over 80% of accidents are classified as the fault of the driver “… due to inappropriate speed“, the analysis ends here. On paper, Bulgaria has all the prerequisites to achieve a lot in road safety. We have a State Agency for “Road Traffic Safety“ to coordinate all departments, we have regulations for the analysis of road accidents caused by new drivers and drivers operating public transport, we have the Ministry of Education and Science, which has set a number of training courses for children and students, we have joint actions of the road control authorities.
The problem is that all results are reported only on paper,
The actions are after accidents or public protests, the training is fictitious, the analyses are formal. None of the institutions admit mistakes, and everyone justifies themselves. In order to improve something, the mistakes must be acknowledged and work to eliminate them. There must be a targeted policy based on real analyses. Only then can we expect results.
- Book, driver, car… If we assume that they are in order, what factor does the road infrastructure on which we travel become?
- Road infrastructure is an exceptional factor for road safety. The sign economy is the road, markings, passive safety systems and traffic organization. They directly affect road safety. Unfortunately, their improvement is associated with serious investments. When this is done purposefully and starting from places with a concentration of accidents, the goal can be gradually achieved. The important thing is not to work campaign-wise, after protests or a wide public response, but based on surveys, analyses and taking specific measures. In Bulgaria, there is no talk of intelligent transport systems, we do not even have a plan for their introduction, as stated in the Road Transport Act, and these systems significantly improve road safety, increase travel comfort and can regulate traffic load. Intelligent transport schemes should be part of the urban and intercity road infrastructure and support traffic safety and relieve traffic, but Bulgaria still lacks a policy for their implementation.
- Why do we always drive in only one lane in Bulgaria - the one for injured and killed people on the road…
- I believe that the main reason is the lack of a real road safety strategy and a targeted policy for achieving it. I know that various institutions have a number of strategies for increasing safety, but how many of them actually reflect reality and are they adequate? Are they linked together in a national strategy. We see what is happening in the countries with the fewest road casualties. We don't need to invent “hot water“. It is necessary to gather a wide range of experts, to collect and analyze a large amount of real data, on the basis of which to base and develop a strategy, to identify measures and to form policies. The process is long and expensive, but it must be carried out and followed purposefully in order to achieve acceptable results.