This Sunday, a huge traffic safety event for the whole family will take place in Vilnius
On April 6, the Traffic Safety Day is commemorated in Lithuania. On that occasion, we invite the residents and guests of Vilnius city to refresh their knowledge about the road safety rules at the event Esu saugus ir saugantis kitus (eng. Safe Myself and Saving Others) organised by the State Enterprise Lithuanian Road Administration (hereinafter – the Road Administration), that will take place on the 3rd of April, Sunday, in the Cathedral Square of the capital. During this event, the visitors will be invited to participate in educational activities and to get a closer look at the work of special services.
Every year, painful accidents occur on Lithuanian roads due to negligence and failure to comply with road safety rules. Last year alone, 147 people tragically died on the country’s roads, and not only adults but also children are injured during traffic accidents.
“The Traffic Safety Day, that is organized every year, is a reminder of that we must every day comply with the Road Traffic Rules. Our aim is to draw the attention of all road users by this event to road safety and to remind them that we cannot relax when on the road, and that we must all act responsibly and respectfully, and keep our lives and those of others safe while we are in traffic”, – says Remigijus Lipkevicius, Director of the State Enterprise Lithuanian Road Administration.
By taking part in the activities organised during this road safety event on this Sunday, the guests will not only be able to refresh their knowledge about Road Traffic Rules. Attention will also be paid to importance of the discipline of all of us on the road. When the weather starts to warm up, after long winter, many drivers of bicycles and electric scooters drive out into the streets again. Therefore, special attention will be paid to their safety.
Last year, compared to 2020, the number of road fatalities among cyclists decreased from 15 to 11 (27 percent). Statistics also show that bicycle riders, who wore a brightly coloured vest with reflective elements, or who rode a bike with the lights on, were significantly safer. Since many people cannot imagine their life without a bicycle, they will be reminded during the educational activities how to properly prepare this vehicle for a new season, and how a technically sound and safe bicycle should look like. Practical tasks will help refresh the knowledge on how to use the road correctly when travelling by electric scooters. Those attending the event will be able to test, during these activities, their skills on a special track, by driving on it as safely as possible in accordance with the Road Traffic Rules and road markings.
At the event “Esu saugus ir saugantis kitus” (eng. I am Safe and Keep Others Safe) much attention also will be paid to children‘s education. Even the youngest road users – children of pre-school age will be able to learn the basic Road Traffic Rules, and the older ones will be able to refresh their knowledge of them. The event space will be equipped specially for children, with an electric car track with road signs. On this track, the educators will introduce the little guests of the event to the meanings of road signs and to the most important rules for safe road use. There also will be an educational reflector zone for children and adults. Here they will be able to learn why it is necessary to wear reflectors during the hours of darkness and how to use them correctly. The updated quiz of knowledge of Road Traffic Rules, which will take place throughout the event, will be a great opportunity for children and their parents to have a fun and interactive repetition of knowledge. The winners will be awarded prizes!
The event participants also will be invited to look at the road through the eyes of a person who is under the influence of alcohol – to try the eyeglasses of drunkenness, that is, to try walking straight, without swinging to the sides on the specially equipped straight line while wearing the eyeglasses. The participants will be able to experience, without endangering others, how difficult and dangerous it can be to navigate the environment, and how vigilance, speed of reaction, and attentiveness change when under the influence of alcohol.
Statistics on road accidents, caused by people under the influence of alcohol and other substances, is still alarming. According to the data available at the Lithuanian Road Police Service, in 2021, as many as 76% of traffic events occurred through the fault of drivers, and 8.5% of them occurred through the fault of intoxicated drivers. 25 people tragically died during traffic accidents caused by intoxicated drivers, 224 were injured. Such accidents, that can be avoided, are the most painful.
The visitors also will have the opportunity to try the devices that simulate a car rollover and collision, in which it will be possible to experience, without risking own health, how the driver and passengers feel when a car overturns or collides with an obstacle even at low speed, how important seat belts are in such situations.
A breath-taking rescue operation ‘After a traffic accident‘ is one of the most impressive parts of the event program. A traffic accident scene, where the representatives of special services will rescue people trapped in a car after a traffic accident, will be simulated in the Cathedral Square.
In drawing public attention to our road safety, educational and training activities, Vytautas Grašys, Head of the Lithuanian Road Police Service, emphasizes as follows: “It is, definitely, better for everyone to see the work of special services at this event rather than to see it in public traffic – after a real traffic accident. We must cultivate a sense of responsibility from an early age, and here the biggest work has to be done by adults – parents, grandparents, other relatives, teachers. After all, a good example to follow is inspiring. My wish would also be that every day on the roads of our country would be safe. We can only achieve this by acting responsibly. Mutual respect, attentiveness, caution – these three responsibilities for each road user are seemingly simple, but very significant”.
The musical part of the event will be the culmination of the whole day’s activities – the performance of Paulina Paukštaitytė, a singer and songwriter who became famous during the project “The Voice of Lithuania”.
The traffic safety event „Esu saugus ir saugantis kitus“ (eng. I am Safe and Keep Others Safe) will take place on April 3 at 12:00 PM in the Cathedral Square of Vilnius.