85% of drivers in Ivano-Frankivsk do not comply with the requirements of the Road Traffic Rules on the use of seat belts, 71% exceed the speed limit, and 60% of cyclists do not comply with the rule on the use of a flashlight in the dark. These are the results of a study of the state of road safety, which was conducted by activists of the public organization “Vision Zero” in cooperation with the city hall and the Patrol Police. Public activists studied in detail police data on registered accidents, in particular, they plotted data on road accidents for 2014-2016 on electronic maps and opened them for public access ( link 1: fatal road accidents for 2014-2016; link 2: all road accidents for 2016 ).
They also independently collected and analyzed a significant amount of data on the so-called safety indicators (Safety Performance Indicators), such as the use of seat belts and speed, which was done for the first time. A study of the behavior of 1,318 drivers found that the seat belt usage rate was 15%. [caption id="attachment_103" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Activists count the level of seat belt use[/caption] The researchers also used radar to measure the speed of traffic on main streets, where a significant number of road accidents with victims occur, and found that this speed significantly exceeds traffic rules and safe indicators. Of the 1,064 cars whose speed was measured, 756 cars (or 71%) were moving at more than 60 km/h, and 204 cars (19.2%) were moving at more than 80 km/h. On one of the streets (Krykhivetskaya), the rate of those who exceed the legally permitted 60 km/h is 89%, and 6% of motorists generally drive at more than 100 km/h. During two hours of measurements (at different times of the day), 24 such drivers were detected. [caption id="attachment_102" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Activists measure the speed of traffic on Krykhivetskaya Street[/caption] The study also found that 60% of cyclists do not use any lighting devices at night, and the remaining 15% use only one light (front or rear).
The researchers also paid attention to the city's infrastructure. They collected and plotted on an electronic map ( link 3 ) information about six existing and seven planned roundabouts, existing and future safety islands, and raised pedestrian crossings. Public activists also examined 18 traffic lights in the central part of the city and found that their condition is unsatisfactory. The traffic lights are morally and physically outdated, only one of them has a waiting timer. The green flashing signal for pedestrians is absent at five of the eighteen crossings and intersections, and at the others the red light comes on suddenly. Four traffic lights lack an intermediate “yellow” phase - a pause between turning off the green for pedestrians and turning on the green for cars. This creates dangerous and nerve-wracking situations when a pedestrian, legally walking on a green light, suddenly finds himself in front of cars that are also starting to move on a green light. The audio guidance for the safety and convenience of blind and visually impaired people is fully functional only at one controlled crossing, and at four it is partially functional.
Co-founders of the NGO "Vision Zero" Andriy Chernikov and Viktor Zagreba during the presentation of the study. Ivano-Frankivsk, 27.07.2016. The study was conducted in a short time, over two days on July 27-28, 2016. “We did this to kick-start the development of the “Zero Mortality Strategy”, which we propose to the city hall of Ivano-Frankivsk and other cities. We have prepared a serious scientifically based foundation for the development of such a strategy, and now we hope to jointly identify strategic directions of work with the city hall, city council members, police and other stakeholders to improve this situation,” says Viktor Zagreba, the initiator of the study. Representatives of the Patrol Police were present at the presentation of the study report, who highly appreciated the work of the activists. “We thank the authors of this study, you have really done important work. We are already taking measures to increase patrolling of high-risk areas, and we will definitely take your report into account in this work. We will also soon begin preventive work on the use of seat belts,” said the commander of the Patrol Police Battalion in Ivano-Frankivsk, Police Lieutenant Iryna Zelinska.
Activists marked the places of fatal road accidents in 2014-2016 on Google Maps[/caption] According to the information available to the activists, such a study was conducted for the first time in Ukraine, although such things are standard practice for the European Union. The founders of the NGO “Vision Zero” Andriy Chernikov, Viktor Zagreba and Andriy Koman, as well as activists and concerned citizens Andriy Shevchuk, Andriy Maigutyak, Yuliya Lyakhovych, Yaroslav Yakovlev, Pavlo Gohilchyn, Denys Kvasov and Olena Bila took part in the study on a volunteer basis. Assistance and necessary materials were provided by the Patrol Police Department in Ivano-Frankivsk and the city Department of Transport. Let us remind you that accidents on roads and streets are one of the serious problems of Ukrainian cities. In 2015, 198 people were injured in Ivano-Frankivsk and 13 died as a result of road accidents. In the first half of 2016, the number of deaths has already reached 6 people, and 102 injured. More than half of all those who suffer in road accidents are pedestrians and cyclists. At the same time, there are already 614 cities on the European continent with a population of over 50 thousand inhabitants that have successfully achieved the so-called “Vision Zero”, that is, zero mortality on their streets (according to DEKRA).
The first edition of the analytical report has already been published on the website www.visionzero.org.ua ( link 4 ), but in the near future the activists plan to publish the second, expanded edition of the report for the public and submit it to the city hall. Contacts for questions, comments and remarks: Viktor Zagreba, head of the NGO “Vision Zero”, tel. 067 442 14 94, viktor@zagreba.com, https://www.facebook.com/zagreba