Pedestrians are among the most endangered road users. The police find out that pedestrians are often the victims of accidents due to the inappropriate behavior of motor vehicle drivers (when they drive at inappropriate speed, under the influence of alcohol, too close to the right edge of the roadway, drive with uncleaned or misted windows on the vehicle, etc.). Many accidents also happen due to mistakes or inappropriate behavior of pedestrians.
Pedestrians are especially often involved in traffic accidents in the autumn and winter months, when the weather conditions are unfavorable (fog, rain) and the daylight hours are shorter. The elderly, particularly, are most often the victims of traffic accidents due to their own mistakes or because they violate road traffic regulations.
Some advice for safer participation in traffic
Pedestrians!
- Make sure you are visible in traffic; wear bright clothing and objects that improve the visibility of pedestrians (reflective strips, flares);
- follow traffic regulations;
- cross the road at a marked pedestrian crossing;
- walk on the pavement (if any) or along the left-hand edge of the carriageway in the direction of walking;
- try to anticipate the behaviour of other road users.
Drivers!
- Note that there are also pedestrians on the roads, give them the right of way;
- adjust your speed to the conditions and strictly follow the limits;
- drive especially carefully in areas where pedestrians usually tarry (in front of schools, in settlements);
- outside residential areas, drive in the middle of the lane to reduce the chance of collision with a pedestrian walking along the carriageway.
In order to increase the safety of pedestrians, we carry out a number of preventive and repressive activities
The preventive activities of police officers are mainly aimed at raising the awareness of pedestrians so that they themselves can take care of their safety in traffic as much as possible (by wearing bright clothings, reflectors, reflective vests, etc.). Among other things, we warn schoolchildren, their parents and grandparents to use reflectors and other reflective objects.
Repressive activities are aimed at reducing the speed of motor vehicle drivers in areas where pedestrians are most likely to linger.
Especially in autumn and winter, when daylight hours are shorter and visibility on the roads is reduced due to fog, rain, snow, etc., police officers:
- inform the public about the issues of pedestrians in traffic and the preventive and repressive measures of the police,
- visit homes for the elderly and pensioners' associations and give lectures on safe walking for pedestrians,
- visit kindergartens and the first grades of elementary schools, where children are taught about safe participation in traffic and are taken along safe routes and across pedestrian crossings,
- regularly inform the competent services responsible for the maintenance and rebuilding of dangerous road sections (mainly road surfaces intended for pedestrians),
- carry out short-term, tighter controls on pedestrian walking in and outside settlements, namely where pedestrians walk more often and are not secured (there are no sidewalks, public lighting),
- measure speed and use other measures to calm traffic everywhere where the pedestrian issues is greater,
- detecting pedestrian irregularities in traffic and marking irregularities in times of reduced visibility,
- inform parents in writing of all serious violations of road traffic regulations committed by children.
To ensure the safety of pedestrians, police officers work together with other institutions: the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, the Institute of Education of the Republic of Slovenia, municipal councils for prevention and education in road traffic, The Automobile Association of Slovenia, the Red Cross of Slovenia, the Federation of Drivers' and Auto-Mechanics' Associations of Slovenia, the Safe Road Institute and the Federationn of Pensioners' Associations of Slovenia.
We also participate in joint preventive actions intented for pedestrians, such as the Be Visible campaign.