In terms of road safety, Russia is one of the most disadvantaged countries. Many factors contribute to this state of affairs. Traffic police authorities regularly publish statistics on the most common causes of accidents, which allows for more effective measures to avoid traffic accidents with tragic consequences. At the same time, the main reason for accidents changes almost every year. So, until recently, experts called drunken driving the main trouble on our roads, today inattentive pedestrians and malicious traffic violators represented by sober motorists can compete for leading positions. There are other significant factors that entail accidents, but about everything in order.
Categories of causes of accidents
If, in simple terms, one approaches the consideration of the nature of an accident, it will be a situation on the road that arose with the participation of at least one car and entailed damage to property or damage to health. Based on this, it can be concluded that the main groups of causes of accidents can include not only the drivers and pedestrians themselves, but also the conditions in which the road surface is used. Traffic police officers identify the following categories of causes of accidents:
- Drivers This group includes all violations of the rules by motorists, as a result of which accidents occur. For example, it can be speeding or the same drunken ride.
- Pedestrians. Oddly enough, in addition to the passage familiar to many ordinary people in the wrong place, this category also provides for about 9 other dangerous actions of pedestrians on the road. These include a quick exit due to an obstacle, movement near vehicles, etc.
- Conditions on the road. This group can include poor visibility and poor quality roads.
- Transport. Malfunctions with the equipment itself also become the causes of accidents. For example, if you have technical problems with management, this increases the risk of an accident.
- Cyclists This group of participants in the movement is also a danger. Riders may not follow the order in the stream, suddenly go onto the roadway, etc.
Once the main categories are identified, it is worthwhile to examine in more detail the main causes of accidents in Russia in the order of their prevalence.
Over speed
Non-compliance with the speed limit regularly turns out to be the main factor that leads to unpleasant consequences on the road. In particular, such accidents occur as a result of collisions with pedestrians and obstacles, as well as collisions with other vehicles. As a rule, the accident portends a loss of controllability of the car, which can lead to rollover, skidding, departure from the roadway and other consequences with a sad outcome. The most difficult situations are accidents in conditions of poor visibility if the participant in the movement exceeds speed and collides with another car in the oncoming lane.
Drunk driving
The development of tough measures to combat drunkenness has somewhat reduced the number of accidents caused by alcohol. Nevertheless, statistics on such cases are still not very encouraging. Moreover, in some regions it is drunkenness at the wheel that is the main cause of road accidents, which leads to other violations of traffic rules. By the way, the already mentioned speeding stands out as a separate reason, while it is the drunken state of the driver that can act as an initial factor in such a violation.
Poor road quality
One of the oldest topics in the discussion of global problems of Russia is roads. A common situation when the notorious bump becomes a dangerous factor, because of which the car spontaneously makes a trip to the oncoming lane. It is overshadowed by the fact that road services are practically not held accountable for such flaws in the coatings. However, the main reason for accidents is not so much in the quality of roads, but in their infrastructure support. The organization of the traffic lights, the application of road markings and the installation of signs are often carried out with outright errors and violations, which leads to accidents.
Car malfunctions
It is impossible not to touch upon the problem of the technical condition of a rather impressive part of Russian cars. Even though the legislation of the Russian Federation strictly regulates the access of cars to operation, it is easy to find vehicles with serious malfunctions in an ordinary stream. According to experts, in this group the main cause of accidents relates to brakes. About 30% of cars in use operate with unregulated or completely defective brakes. Another thing is that some problems with adjustment may allow the operation of vehicles. Also common problems in the technical part that cause accidents include problems with optics, design weakness due to poorly completed repairs and, of course, inaccuracies in steering. Seasonal “diseases” are also worth mentioning here. Basically, such accidents are associated with improper use of tires - for example, when summer tires are used in winter.
Roughness of pedestrians
Wanting to shorten the path or time on the road, many pedestrians decide to ignore the rules of the road and make the passage of the carriageway in the wrong place. But there are some nuances. The fact is that a strict distinction between the fault of drivers and pedestrians is not always possible. For example, when it comes to a child or a pensioner. Of course, the driver may formally be right, but it is obvious that it is not necessary to demand increased attention from children or the elderly. One way or another, the main causes of accidents caused by pedestrians are ignoring traffic rules. Going to an unidentified place or moving to a red light - these are the main violations by pedestrians. The situation is aggravated in the dark, when the transition along the "zebra" does not guarantee security. In this case, reflective clothing items should be prepared in advance.
Accident prevention measures
It would seem that in the hands of modern traffic police departments are concentrated effective tools aimed at identifying and combating the culprits of traffic accidents. However, this is not enough. The fact is that the main causes of accidents and measures to prevent them should be considered from two perspectives - from the side of road inspections, security services and through the eyes of direct road users. Special authorized organizations to combat violations are engaged in comprehensive preventive work. In particular, effective measures are being developed to control the technical condition of automobiles, approaches and methods to regulating traffic are being improved, more severe fines are being introduced, and explanatory propaganda work with the population is being carried out. As for the pedestrians and motorists themselves, it is in their interests not only to comply with traffic rules, but also to insure themselves against possible violations by other persons.
Conclusion
Russia has a modern and well-thought-out list of traffic rules, compliance with which minimizes the risks of any accidents. The problem is that, for example, the main reason for road accidents in the form of drunkenness is almost imperceptible for road authorities without proper verification. The same applies to drivers whose driving style involves high speed. As a rule, these are experienced participants in the movement who are confident in their abilities and do not always adequately assess the situation. Both groups pose a danger to other motorists, as well as pedestrians who, in order to save time, decide to cross in unidentified places. Unfortunately, it is possible to deal with such phenomena only with the help of a general increase in the culture of driving and, in general, the exploitation of roadways, and this is a matter of many years.