Global UN Road Safety Week held in Moldova

The first United Nations Global Road Safety Week will be organised during the week of 23-29 April 2007 worldwide, including Moldova. It is dedicated to young drivers and road users, because they constitute a major group at risk of death, injury and disability on the road. The week, which will be modelled after previous road safety weeks organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and World Health Day 2004, will serve as a platform to raise awareness about road safety issues and call for action regarding factors with the greatest impact: helmets, seatbelts, drink-driving, speeding, visibility, road design and infrastructure. UN has invited the Governments to organise in this period important actions at national level. Traffic Safety Service Inspector Ion Roscovanu told Info-Prim Neo that this action also takes place in Moldova, where an analysis of causes of traffic accidents occurred in the first quarter of the year revealed that 373 accidents of 486 had happened because of drivers. According to Roscovanu, speeding caused 97 accidents, manoeuvring irregularity – 49, drink-driving – 45, not giving priority to pedestrians in crosswalks – 39, exit on median strip – 38 accidents. At the same time, each fifth road accident occurred because of pedestrians. Children were involved in 57 accidents, resulted in 4 dead and 55 injured. “The Speed” special campaign runs in Chisinau on the same days, and “The Pedestrian” campaign is scheduled for April 25 to 27.