The Roadpol Safety Days campaign, organized by the European Road Police Network (Roadpol), takes place in the European Union (EU) member states during the week from 16 to 22 September, where the police monitor road safety more closely.
The control is and will be on our side as well, and according to Vitalijs Kuzmins, Senior Inspector of the Order Police Division of the Vidzeme Regional State Police, nothing will change after the campaign: “It is possible that the activities of the State Police will be more visible this week, but this does not mean .September drivers can do whatever they want. Road traffic monitoring takes place and will take place in 24/7 mode. We can’t be everywhere, but if we find a violation during a patrol, we won’t miss it. “
Roadpol promotions take place every year, formerly known as “Edward’s Day” or “Europe Day without Road Deaths and Injuries”. This year, too, the aim of the campaign is to work together to ensure that, at least at this time, there are no road accidents in Europe with fatalities and serious injuries.
The State Police points out that during the “Roadpol Safety Days” all road users will be closely monitored in the territory of Latvia: both drivers and vulnerable road users. The use of seat belts and child seats will also be controlled, law enforcement officers will also intensify speed control, and, according to V. Kuzmin, violators of this requirement are the first to be punished at the beginning of the control week: “Our task is not only to punish, but first and foremost , warning drivers. Another understands from the first time, unfortunately for some drivers no warnings help. When you look at the history of his violations, it becomes clear that no prevention works there. “
One of the most topical violations is the use of smart devices while driving, and this was also emphasized in the LTV program “Rīta Panorāma” by Normunds Krapsis, Chief of the VP Main Order Police Department: “Everyday . ”
Raivis Vēzis, the youngest inspector of the Traffic Monitoring Company of the Patrol Police Division of the Vidzeme Regional Administration’s Police Department, points out in a conversation with “Druva” that Cēsis is actively working on this problem and assesses that drivers are starting to think about it. a very topical problem: “When I left for Riga by car, I see that in almost every second car, the drivers are talking on the phone at the wheel, writing text messages. I do not know how to combat it. Cesis is a smaller city, easier to control, and I would like to believe that the situation is improving here. ”
Of course, the convicts try to dispute the fact, although his violation is recorded in the video. R. Vēzis points out that the video is only one source of evidence: “There are two of us in the crew, if we both see that the driver is using the phone, we stop, no denial helps, because we have recorded the violation. If we do not have 100% confidence in the violation, the driver will not be stopped. “
More and more convicts are for aggressive driving, the drone at the disposal of the State Police, which has already registered several violations in road traffic, also helps to record it. The drone was purchased some time ago, but the regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers did not allow it to be used over the roads. Now that the permit has been received, motorists must take into account that violations can also be recorded from the air.
Reducing the number of people killed in road accidents by drawing public attention to this problem through action began several decades ago in Europe. As early as 1994, Sweden launched the Vision Zero initiative, which aims to ensure that there are no fatalities and serious injuries on the roads. The European Union has also defined this as its great vision, stating that by 2050 the situation must improve to such an extent that there are no road deaths in EU countries.
At the moment, it probably seems like a utopia, because in Latvia alone, 91 road users died in road traffic accidents by September 15 this year, but 3,025 were injured. In the same period last year, 90 people died in road accidents, but 3361 people were injured. It can be said that the situation is not improving at all, but if we remember that in 1991 almost 1,000 people lost their lives on Latvian roads, it must be admitted that the improvement is huge.
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