2024-07-03 20:40:11
At the same time, he also indicated that penalties should be introduced in Latvia for exceeding the permitted driving speed of up to ten kilometers per hour.
Brišken said that a new approach to detailed auditing of road traffic accidents has been started at the political level to collect data and follow up accordingly. Among other things, he pointed out that the road infrastructure needs to be improved and monetary penalties are needed, including for exceeding the permitted driving speed up to 10 kilometers per hour, so the MoU will repeatedly push the relevant amendments.
He also mentioned that it is necessary to take tougher action against drivers who sit behind the wheel while drunk.
Brišken said that he would support the provision of additional funding and capacity for the State Police and municipal police, because it is not enough just to strengthen the penalties, but these penalties must also be applied.
Mārtiņš Lazdovskis, chairman of the board of VSIA “Latvijas valsts ceļi” (LVC), informed journalists that last year LVC installed the first 16 average driving speed control sections, where it can be observed that the number of road traffic accidents has decreased. This year, however, it is planned to install 17 more sections, including the place where two serious traffic accidents took place last week.
On the other hand, Chairman of the Board of the Road Safety Directorate (CSDD) Aivars Aksenoks stated that the Directorate continues cooperation with the State Police, and serious work is underway with drivers and driving schools. CSDD also engages in traffic safety research, analyzing the behavior of road users and in-depth research on serious road traffic accidents.
He informed that by reducing the average driving speed by two kilometers per hour, 20 lives can be saved in Latvia per year and the number of injured can be reduced by 400 per year.
Juris Jančevskis, head of the State Police’s Response Department, noted that increased monitoring will continue in places where serious road traffic accidents occurred during the last week.
He also added that on a daily basis, half of the recorded traffic violations are speeding. In addition, the majority of speed breakers exceed the permitted driving speed of 21 to 40 kilometers per hour, which leads to the conclusion that the speed is exceeded deliberately.
CSDD data show that the number of road users killed in Latvia from the beginning of this year to June 30 is 51. On the other hand, last year until June 30, 65 people died on Latvian roads.
2024-07-03 20:40:11