An Average Young Road Victim and Advice For Road Users Before the Start of the School Year

Before the coming autumn, SE Lithuanian Road Adminstration (later – the Road Administration) reminds all road users not only about the changing weather and traffic conditions but about the increasing traffic volumes on the roads of the country. The number of vehicles and young pedestrians will increase in the beginning of the new school year which might increase the probability of road traffic accidents.

Having analyzed traffic accidents with young road victims (injured and fatalities) involved in the period of 2015–2020, the Road Administration has drawn a picture of an average young pedestrian victim on Lithuanian roads and streets. It is a primary schooler (usually second, third or fourth grade) who got involved in a car accident not at his own fault or due to negligence on his way back from school or after-school activities. Children between the age of 6 and 10 years account for more than 38 per cent of pedestrian victims.

“By drawing this picture we aim to pay attention to traffic safety of our young road users. Statistical data show that schoolchildren who start their independent trips to school and out-of school activities get involved in road accidents. If first grade schoolers are accompanied by adults, second grade pupils  usually go by themselves. Therefore, we kindly ask adults to remind their children about the Road Traffic Regulations and ask drivers to be more careful and attentive”, said the Director of the Road Administration Remigijus Lipkevičius.

All of us are road users and our safety on the roads depends on our sense of responsibility and respect to each other. It is of utmost importance to educate children when they start their first trips to school. The Road Administration emphasizes that only through positive example that can we educate our children’s road safety skills.

Before the start of school year, we recommend to take a return trip to school with your children, to show them the safest route, to instruct how to cross the street safely, to remind them to look around before crossing the street, to cross the street only at green traffic lights.

Drivers are reminded to drive carefully, not to use smartphones when driving, to stick to a safe speed limit, to slow down at the pedestrian crossing. On the other hand, a human factor and a probablity of human error also exists. Therefore, drivers should make their best to avoid accidents since pedestrian road users are more vulnerable.

Preliminary data of the Lithuanian Road Police  shows that 674 pedestrians were injured on the roads in 2020, out of which children accounted for 20 per cent. In 2019 the number of pedestrian injuries was 820, out of which children accounted for 22.3 per cent. Last year there were no young pedestrian fatalities on our roads and in 2019 one young pedestrian died due to own negligence.