Transport

The main priority of the Lithuanian Road Administration under the Ministry of Transport and Communications– to improve traffic safety conditions on the roads of national significance whose length today totals 21320 kilometres – has not changed for several years In the opinion of specialists last year’s results can be considered to be positive.

The Number of Meters on the Roads is on the Increase
According to the Head of the Traffic Safety Division of the Lithuanian Road Administration Povilas Narbutas, the road becomes a cause of an accident only when the most important indicator of traffic safety – man – disregards warnings and rules. It is the driver who “does not read” warning signs rather than the road section under repair that most often causes accidents.

Recently a lot of engineering measures have been implemented and are being implemented every day in the country: viaducts are being built, dangerous junctions are being reconstructed, safety fences are installed, dangerous sections are lit up, metal net fences against wild animals are built. Taking into consideration the traffic safety situation in Lithuania, its national peculiarities, neither fines that have been made stricter nor safer motor cars will give more tangible benefit if we are not able to educate a responsible, orderly and quick-witted driver and citizen.

In 2007 smashes of vehicles, overturning and driving into an obstacle constituted more than half the recorded traffic accidents. Therefore in 2008 the Road Administration devoted great attention to road safety: reconstructed 20 junctions where the accident rate was high, put up 140 km long metal safety fences, lit up 28 km of road sections and junctions where the accident rate was high.

According to Povilas Narbutas, a network of stationary speedometers started to be created to curb lovers of fast and reckless driving. At the present time 62 speedometers are installed on the roads of national significance. Milled and painted median strips and refuge islands at crossings, noise barriers, road signs of increased reflection also warn drivers on the road.

Consistent and thorough work did not take long to give positive results. In 2008 the number of drivers and passengers killed decreased by as much as 35 per cent.

Running over the pedestrians accounts for one third of the accidents. Therefore 33 kilometres of pedestrian or cycle paths were made or reconstructed last year. Special attention was paid to controlling the speed of the means of transportation in settlements – about 70 engineering speed reducing measures have been installed there (speed humps, raised pedestrian crosswalks and others). 180 stands of social advertising on the theme of traffic safety have been installed in the pavilions of the bus stations. One more noteworthy comparison: 135 pedestrians were killed during 10 months of the year 2008, that is, 20 per cent less than at the same time period in 2007 when 165 pedestrians were killed.

The number of the so-called “black spots” – the number of places with the highest number of fatal accidents in the map of roads of national significance has decreased: from 247 (in 2007) to 227. On the basis of 2008 statistics it is forecasted that in the immediate future the number of such “black sports” on our roads will decrease considerately.

Suggestive Social Advertising
According to the data of sociological studie, educational campaigns that have been carried out by the Road Administration in the mass media of the country for three years already evoked a tremendous and, first and foremost, positive response. To use safety belts and safety measures for children in vehicles, not to drive under the influence of alcohol, to encourage intolerance of the public to such drivers, to encourage pedestrians to behave safely on the roads, to encourage pedestrians, as well as bicyclists, to wear reflectors and clothes with light reflecting elements. Such a package of social advertising in the form of suggestive video and audio clips and information announcements was broadcasted over eight most popular TV and twelve radio stations. Since the end of August weekly TV programmes on urgent traffic safety themes have been broadcasted (LNK – “Ne vienas kelyje” (Not Alone on the Road) and BTV – “Kelio ženklai” (Road Signs)).

The Lithuanian Road Administration under the Ministry of Transport and Communications has been administering the educational traffic safety programme for three years already. Seeking to investigate and generalise the efficiency and spread of traffic safety campaigns carried out, as well as their impact on society, in November, the Lithuanian Road Administration, in co-operation with the Social Information and Training Agency conducted a sociological study.

According to the Head of the above-mentioned Agency Saulius Ignatavičius, 1103 respondents took part in a written questionnaire survey (interviewed in the cities of Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Alytus, Panevėžys and Šiauliai). There was 47 per cent of females and 53 per cent of males among the interviewed persons. More than sixty-five per cent of the respondents who participated in the survey drive a car.

Comparing the results of the surveys conducted in 2007 and 2008, it can be stated that attention of the public to the traffic safety campaign was really great: 90 per cent of the respondents stated that they noticed them in the afore-mentioned mass media in 2008. Thematic pages of all main Lithuanian newspapers on the theme of said campaigns aroused greater interest in 2008 than they did last year.

As in 2007 almost 60 per cent of the respondents agree that campaigns organised by the Lithuanian Road Administration is an effective measure of propagating traffic safety. A little more than one third of the respondents is not sure about how effective these campaigns are. As little as 7.5 per cent of the respondents thinks that these measures are ineffective.

In 2008 traffic safety campaigns also had an effect on the driving habits of more than half the respondents.

As compared with the year 2007, among the respondents who answered that their driving habits did not change after the traffic safety campaign, the part of those who tried to drive more carefully and orderly, has increased. Another one third of the drivers influenced by advertising began to fasten safety belts more often; about 16 per cent of drivers try to drive more slowly.

One of the most distinguished changes is that drivers drive children with greater responsibility (fasten safety belts and drive them strapped in special chairs, do not allow them romp in the car). Other recurrent additions: drivers no longer drive under the influence of alcohol, warn other participants in traffic, are more concerned about safety of their passengers. Taking into consideration the fact that in 2007 already, a large part of drivers influenced by advertising changed their driving habits, it can be stated that traffic safety campaigns effectively improve the behaviour of Lithuanian drivers on the roads.

Efficiency of social advertising is testified to by the fact that in 2008 the part of the respondents on whom traffic safety advertisements seen acted as a warning increased. Two thirds of the respondents have memorised traffic safety advertisements and remember them when they take their seat behind the wheel or when driving.

Both in 2007 and in 2008 the respondents assessed the contents of traffic safety advertisements in the positive. In 2008 the largest part of the respondents considered the advertisements to be efficient, effective and making them think.

In 2008 the respondents were asked to evaluate what causes, in their opinion, brought about most often damage situations. The largest part of the respondents (84 proc.) considers undisciplined participants in traffic to be the cause of accidents (people driving under the influence of alcohol, those who violate or disregard the rules, inexperienced drivers). Almost two thirds of the respondents think that the main cause of accidents is too light penalties imposed for violating the Traffic Rules, 43 per cent of the respondents thinks that the main cause of accidents is insufficient control of the participants in traffic exercised by the police officials. Only a relatively small part of the respondents considers standards established by the Traffic Rules to be an important cause of accidents. About one third of the respondents thinks that insufficient preparation of participants in traffic (inadequate procedure of preparing drivers, insufficient training and education of participants in traffic) is an important cause of accidents. One fourth of the respondents identifies poor conditions of the roads as an important cause of accidents, one fifth of the respondents thinks that accidents are caused by a bad technical condition of vehicle.

Questions about what measures could improve traffic safety in Lithuania reflect the attitude that one of the most effective measures would be stricter penalties imposed on drivers for violating the Traffic Rules. Though in summing up it could be said that in the opinion of the respondents the most effective measure of improving traffic safety is penalties imposed by the police. No less effective are engineering measures. Improving the condition of the means of transportation and educating participants in traffic are also of great importance.

When asked about what measures would ensure safety on the roads most effectively, the respondents repeated again: stricter penalties, confiscation of a vehicle for severe violations of the Traffic Rules, imprisonment for grave violations of the Traffic Rules.

Saulius Ignatavičius drew attention to the fact that this year the investigations have been extended somewhat more globally: it was interesting to find out assessments of the respondents of the use of the European Union funds in managing infrastructure of Lithuanian roads and at the same time improving traffic safety. The results obtained corroborated the rule that the closer the environment was to the respondent the more carefully he/she observed it and at the same time assessed it more pedantically. The use of the European Union funds for managing main roads is assessed best (83 per cent of the respondents assessed it well or very well). Somewhat more than half of the respondents assessed management of national roads in the positive, whereas management of regional roads was assessed in the positive by one third of the respondents, and almost half of them thought that the European Union funds were applied inappropriately or very badly for managing these roads.

Having analysed the respondents’ answers, it can be concluded that traffic safety campaigns organised in 2008 were effective. They drew attention of the greatest part of society to the problems of traffic safety in Lithuania; further efficiently changed attitudes and habits of the participants in traffic in a positive direction.

According to specialists, the fact that, as compared with the last year, the number of causalities on the roads has decreased by as much as one third is also a result of a consistent educational activity of the Road Administration.

Public Relations are Maintained Constantly
We did not limit ourselves to the impact of the mass media only. According to a relevant schedule, equipment of effectiveness of safety belts and imitation of overturning of a vehicle was demonstrated at all municipalities of the country. The Lithuanian pupils’ contest Saugokime jaunas gyvybes keliuose (Let’s Take Care of Young Lives on the Roads) enjoyed great popularity. During it the contest of the pupils of the primary forms Šviesoforas (Traffic Lights), tournaments of young bicyclists Saugus ratas (A Safe Circle), young drivers of motorbikes, motorcycles and cars took place.

Here are some more figures. In 2008 as many as 55 thousand reflectors, 7 thousand toys of different forms reflecting light, 3 thousand bags for sportswear with a reflective band, 24 thousand pamphlets about the benefit and importance of reflectors were distributed. About 5 thousand light reflection vests were bought and distributed.