On Saturday, 17 October 2009, several preventive activities were conducted all over Europe under the joint name European night without traffic accident. In the press conference organised on 15 October 2009 by the Institute Varna pot, a police representative said that during the weekend police officers will tighten the control of the psychophysical condition of drivers.
The following persons participated in the press conference that was organised at the Institute for Rehabilitation of the Republic of Slovenia: Minister for the Interior Katarina Kresal, Minister for Transport dr. Patrick Vlačič, Director of the Institute for Rehabilitation of the Republic of Slovenia M.A. Robert Cugelj, Robert Štaba, Katja Blatnik and a teenager - victim of a traffic accident from the Institute Varna pot as well as the senior police inspector in the Traffic Police Division at the General Police Directorate Boštjan Smolej.
In the photo from the left: Boštjan Smolej from the General Police Directorate, Minister for the Interior Katarina Kresal, Robert Štaba from the Institute Varna pot and Minister for Transport Patrick Vlačič at the press conference
Namely, the main objective of the international project European night without traffic accident is to draw attention to the alcohol problem in traffic, especially among young people. Young volunteers (students) participating in the project will inform young people, especially young drivers, on the importance of responsibility in traffic. In various bars they will encourage young people not to drink alcohol, invite them to take the alcohol test when leaving a bar and reward persons who will keep their promise and remain sober.
Therefore, on Saturday, 17 October 2009, police officers will additionally tighten the control of the psychophysical condition of drivers. As said in the press conference by Boštjan Smolej of the Transport Police Division at the General Police Directorate, the police is in cooperation with other organisations by other methods endeavouring to inform the Slovenian public of the problem of alcohol in traffic and to raise the level of expectancy of violators that they will be caught and appropriately punished when driving under the influence of alcohol. The police are also endeavouring to increase the control of driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs and psychoactive substances, including the increase in the number of measures against violators. In this way, the police would like to reduce the share of drivers under the influence of alcohol in traffic accidents, which would also contribute to the improvement of traffic safety conditions in our roads.