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Pedestrians in road traffic are among the most vulnerable road users. They are particularly vulnerable during the autumn and winter months.

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Pedestrians are major victims of road accidents caused by inappropriate behaviour of motor vehicle drivers (speeding, driving while under the influence of alcohol, staying too close to the right side of the road, driving with their car windows dirty or misted, etc.). But road accidents are also caused by mistakes and improper behaviour of pedestrians. The elderly are often victims of road accidents due to their mistakes or because they violate traffic codes.

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In order to improve the safety of pedestrians, police officers carry out various prevention and repressive activities. Prevention activities aim mainly at raising awareness among pedestrians who must themselves be more responsible for their road safety; repressive measures focus on moderating the speed of vehicles in areas where pedestrians are present.

 

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In this period, police officers will carry out the following activities:

  • informing the public about the issue of pedestrians in traffic and the repressive measures taken by police;
  • visiting kindergarten children and first-graders in primary schools, where they will teach children safe behaviour in road traffic, walking them along safe roads and across zebra crossings;
  • visiting residential homes for the elderly and pensioners' organisations, where they will lecture on pedestrian safety;
  • regularly informing the services responsible for road maintenance and rehabilitation of dangerous road sections (mainly surfaces intended for pedestrians);
  • visiting health centres and other institutions, where they will organise exhibitions in waiting rooms with panels featuring pictures drawn by children illustrating pedestrian safety (pictures will be drawn by primary school children);
  • carrying out brief and intensified surveillance of pedestrians within and outside settlements, notably in the areas where pedestrians are more commonly present and which are not protected (without sidewalks, public lighting);
  • performing speed checks and taking other measures for traffic-moderating purposes at locations dangerous to pedestrians;
  • detecting pedestrian misconduct and inappropriate markings in conditions of reduced visibility;
  • informing parents in writing about any serious traffic code violations committed by children.

Police officers will be actively involved particularly in the pedestrian campaign with the slogan "Be careful and VISIBLE", which will be held from 1 to 22 October 2008, and in which they will, together with other institutions responsible for traffic safety (Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Education and Sport, National Education Institute, municipal road safety education and accident prevention councils, Automobile Association of Slovenia, Red Cross, Confederation of Drivers and Auto Mechanics' Associations of Slovenia, and Safe Route Institution), draw the attention of school children, their parents and grandparents to the importance of using reflective badges and other reflective materials that ensure better safety for pedestrians.

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 Be careful and VISIBLE

The campaign is part of several activities planned to increase road safety in Slovenia within the framework of the National Programme on Road Traffic Safety by 2011 carried out under the auspices of the Ministry of Transport. Furthermore, the campaign is also part of the efforts joined under the European Road Safety Charter slogan: 25,000 lives to save!

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For safer participation in road traffic in the autumn and winter months, the Police advise:

Pedestrians:

  • make sure to be visible in traffic; wear light-coloured clothes that improve the pedestrian's visibility (reflective arm bands, reflective badges);
  • respect traffic regulations; cross the road at marked pedestrian crosswalks, use the sidewalks (if available) or walk on the left side of the road;
  • try to anticipate other road users' behaviour.

Drivers:

  • keep pedestrians in mind, give way to pedestrians;
  • adapt your speed to road conditions and always observe the speed limit;
  • drive particularly carefully in areas where pedestrians normally walk (in the vicinity of schools, in settlements);
  • drive in the middle of the driving lane in order to minimise the risk of collision with pedestrians walking along the side of the road.

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