The poor state of traffic safety on Moldova's roads is a systemic problem that involves everything from driver schools, to police officers registering the accidents, to the decisions adopted by the government. Efforts to improve traffic safety should involve more authorities, including the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Education, or the Ministry of Health, and not just the Patrol Inspectorate. These opinions were voiced at a talk show on Publika TV yesterday night.
Ilie Bricicaru, expert in road traffic safety, says that accidents in Moldova are not even properly recorder, as many officers lack adequate specific training. Such traffic reports, because of their incompleteness, don't allow for a proper analysis that would enable the Ministry of Transport and other agencies to develop effective strategies for curbing road accidents. Another problem that must be addressed, in the expert's opinion, are vague legal traffic rules that leave room for interpretation. He also thinks that traffic safety can be improved by designing roads in such a way that traffic is tempered.
Dumitru Munteanu, the owner of a bus company, thinks that increasing fines won't improve the situation; instead greater attention should be paid to driver's education. Dumitru Munteanu added that the government should stop buying more and more new cars for the traffic police and use the money instead to put up more traffic signs and public lights that would help drivers avoid risks on the road.
Blogger Veaceslav Balacci highlighted the problem of corruption in the system: “We often see such cases where people caught drinking and driving get off clean after they take the alcohol test, which indicates corruption. If one doesn't have any luck with the doctor doing the test, the driver can strike a deal with the prosecutor, and if the prosecutor won't help, the judge can help you out. The entire system is corrupt”.
Three accidents on Wednesday claimed 11 lives on Moldova's roads. Two of the victims were only 14 months and 1 month old. Another victim is now in a coma. At the Government's meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Iurie Leanca reacted by demanding proposals for harsher penalties against traffic offenders.
