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International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Friday, 29.03.2024, 13:20

Lithuania's aim – zero fatalities in road traffic

Danuta Pavilenene, BC, Vilnius, 14.09.2015.Print version
Vision Zero: no fatalities in road traffic – is the objective that Lithuania together with other European Union (EU) member-states has set itself by 2050. In the short term, a particular attention will be paid in order to improve the safety of the most vulnerable road users – pedestrians and cyclists, reported BC Lithuania's Ministry of Transport and Communications.

In the light of the best practices of the EU member-states and the recommendations made by experts from the European Commission (EC), it is provided to expand the zones where the permissible speed limit is 30 km/h; in particular, in the central parts of the city, near kindergartens and schools, as well as places with high pedestrian traffic density.

 

Furthermore, in order enhance safety, the crosswalks will be modernized, other engineering safety measures introduced. Consideration is also given to the possibility of strengthening the prevention of drink-driving by installing alcolocks and restoring the penalty point system for the very rude violations of the Road Traffic Rules.

 

In the assessment of the road safety situation in Lithuania, Szabolcs Schmidt, head of the Unit Road Safety at the Directorate-General Mobility and Transport of the EC, recommended to set the lowest possible alcohol limit, particularly for the beginners and drivers providing transport services for passengers and goods.

 

Also, Schmidt believes that road traffic safety could be improved with the penalty points system, which enables to identify and discipline regular road traffic offenders in a more efficient way. The expert pointed out that a large part of fatalities in road traffic consists of pedestrians and cyclists and, therefore, called for improvements to the infrastructure, suggested to apply speed restriction measures together with active educational activities, utilize electronic measures for road fines.

 

In order to implement Vision Zero, the immediate EU's road safety objective is to reduce the number of road fatalities by half by 2020 compared to 2010. In a prior period 2001-2010, Lithuania was one of the few countries in the EU, which in a decade reduced this number to 58%. This year, a significant progress in road safety was made and the number of road deaths decreased by more than 20% compared to the previous year.






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