Four times more Georgians die in accidents than in developed countries

Nodar Javakhishvili, the Minister of Infrastructure of Georgia, has stated that various Georgian ministries had jointly developed a National Strategy for Road Safety and a five-year Action Plan that outlined its implementation.

The Minister admitted that compared to developed countries, the number of road accidents and fatalities are four times more in Georgia.

Deputy Tbilisi Mayor Irakli Lekvinadze emphasized that 40% of cars in Georgia were moving in the capital, Tbilisi, which created greater risks for accidents.

The Georgian officials promised that the action plan could play a decisive role in settling the problem.

Javakhishvili stressed that improving the road infrastructure would be one of the main factors in the strategy that has not been made public.

The officials recently stated that the strategy financed by the World Bank was comprehensive and covered the years 2015-2020.

Indeed, without the strategy, the large number of accidents will not decrease.

The TV media report several fatal incidents often – sometimes daily.

Our foreign visitors frequently complain about the violation of traffic rules by Georgian drivers and pedestrians.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dark period of the 1990s, protecting traffic rules was one of the least important issues in Georgia.

Increased awareness over the problem began under the previous state leadership that set high fines for violating traffic rules, made fastening seatbelts obligatory and ensured electricity for the normal functioning of traffic lights, as electricity was scarce before 2003-2004.

The introduction of the Patrol Police also played a crucial role during this time.

Georgia needs to continue working to improve the issue. The Patrol Police corps seems less strict towards traffic rule violations now than it once was.

In order to change this, Georgians require high fines and strict rules, to include pedestrians as well as drivers.

The government’s obligation is to ensure a just system, good infrastructure and athe ppropriate facilities for pedestrians to cross roads etc.

When the government fulfills its obligations, there will be no justification for those who violate the rules, and the relevant bodies must ensure the launch of an appropriate information campaign as well as just punishment for law breakers to prevent accidents and fatal collisions.