Analysis and Results of Measures to Ensure Road Safety in Ukraine for the Period

Abstract

Introduction. Undesirable consequences of fast increase of the vehicle fleet are an increase in the level of accident rate and the number of deaths and injuries in traffic accidents (hereinafter accidents). The positive experience of other countries shows that objectives indicators for reducing the number of traffic accident victims by implementing reasonable measures to eliminate the dominant causes of accidents is the most effective way to achieve the desired result in improving traffic safety. Problem statement. Considering the enormous economic lost caused by traffic accidents, improving of traffic safety has been a priority in the policies of many countries around the world in recent decades. In this regard, the international community pays considerable attention to the development of targeted programs and implementation of traffic safety measures directed at preventing the road traffic injuries. In particular, on March 2, 2010, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution No. 64/255 «Improving Traffic Safety Worldwide», which proclaimed the 2011–2020 «Decade of Traffic Safety Actions» to reduce deaths from injuries sustained as a result of traffic accident — by 50%. Ukraine, through which seven international transport corridors run [1], did not stay away from solving the common problem and joined in 2011 to the UN initiative regarding reducing the death rate due to traffic accidents by at least 30 % [2]. For evaluation of the achieved result, it is important to analyze the accident statistics and determine whether the planned results were achieved through the implementation of planned measures to improve traffic safety. Purpose. The article considers the dynamics of accident rate and the number of traffic accidents victims in Ukraine for the period 2011–2020, as well as analyzes the main causes of traffic accidents on the public roads, including roads of state importance, to evaluate the outcome of the Decade of Traffic Safety Actions and providing the recommendations for further decreasing of mortality on domestic roads. Materials and methods. The study used the method of statistical processing of data on the number of accidents and their victims in Ukraine and the method of systematic analysis of risk factors that contributed to the accidents. Results. It is determined that the total number of fatalities in traffic accidents for the period 2011–2020 decreased in Ukraine by 27.8 %, and on the public roads — by 44.0 %. However, considering that since 2014 there are no data on traffic accidents in Autonomous Republic of Crimea and partly in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the indicator of decreasing of deaths per 100 traffic accidents and the result shows more modest achievements: in Ukraine it was possible to reduce deaths by 100 traffic accidents per 100 14 %, and on the public roads — only 5.4 %. Conclusions. Accident rate analysis provides an information basis for understanding the scale of the problem of traffic injuries, evaluating the results of implemented measures to improve traffic safety, the dynamics of positive or negative developments, and allows to plan reasonably the measures to improve road conditions to reduce mortality on roads.