OREANDA-NEWS. On 19 February 2009 was announced, that safe roads was the title of the international seminar on traffic safety held in the Ministry of Construction of the Republic of Karelia. Representatives of the Ministry of Transport and Communication, Traffic Administration, Traffic Police and Traffic Safety Association of Finland took part in the seminar. Karelia was represented by heads and experts of ministries of construction, education, economic development, State Committee for Fire Control, Emergency Prevention and Elimination, Motor Licensing and Inspection Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the RK, as well as other interested departments and organizations.

Deputy Minister of Construction Nikolay Skresanov welcomed the seminar participants. He has mentioned, that now solution of the traffic safety problem is considered a foreground task of the republic development. Significant efforts of authorities of various levels are aimed at achievement of these purposes. Nikolay Skresanov has also told about the course of implementation of the Traffic Safety Increase in the Republic of Karelia from 2006 through to 2010 regional target program.

Chief of the Traffic Administration Department state enterprise Igor Zhadanovsky and chief of the roads operating, safekeeping and diagnostics of Kola traffic administration Alexander Levin have told of the basic directions of establishments' activity in the field of traffic safety on regional and federal motorways.

Head of the Motor Licensing and Inspection Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the RK Oleg Zanasiy in his statement has cited the data testifying to decrease of the number of traffic accidents. Thus, last year in the republic there happened 790 traffic accidents against 848 in 2007. Number of the injured in traffic accidents has made 986 people, or 8% less than last year. 82 people were lost in accidents whereas a year previously they were nembered in 110.

Yet one of the main reasons of traffic accidents remains illegal behaviour of drivers as more than 89% of accidents are registered due to their infringement of rules of the road. Unfortunately, the number of road accidents committed by drunk drivers in has grown by 13%.

Head physician of the Area Emergency Medicine Center Alexander Valdman has told that statistically only 3% of the total of the injured perish right in the accident, and 55% die afterwards, that is before the medical help comes, 42% more die in medical institutions. Therefore, he has emphasized, that decrasing of the number of fatal outcomes resulting from traffic accidents depends substantially on how fast the rescuers arrive on the site of the traffic accident and render first medical aid. By the end of the last year training equipment for rendering first medical aid was delivered to the Area Emergency Medicine Center.

In turn, representatives of the Finnish party have told to the seminar participants about results of activity of organizations and departments of Finland aimed at increase of traffic safety. For example, the senior auditor of the traffic safety division of safety of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Finland Eeva-Liisa Haapaniemi has focused attention of the audience on goals and tasks of traffic safety of in Finland at the nation-wide level, on the Concept O implementation meaning zero death rate in traffic accidents. The Concept'd main task is reduction of the number of victims of traffic accidents to 250 people by 2010, and to 100 people by 2025. 343 people died in 2008 on the roads of Finland, 69 of them were bicyclists and pedestrians.

The traffic safety expert of the Traffic Administration of Southeast Finland Jussi Pitkдlahti has made a report on the activity of Traffic Administration of Finland for increase of traffic safety of pedestrians and bicyclists in Finland. Besides, he has presented some results of cooperation with the Government of Leningrad region by the example of implementation of the project for decrease in children's road traumatism in Gatchina.

The chief commissioner of the traffic police division of Joensuu Raimo Harjunen spoke of activity of traffic police for control and supervision in the field of traffic safety. Police concentrates on control of observance of speed ranges, use of alcoholic and narcotics by traffic participants, use of safety aids, freight traffic, and drivers of the risk group.

Summing up, the Deputy Minister of Construction Nikolay Skresanov has noted, that the seminar was very useful to all of its participants, and practice of experience gained by Finnish colleagues should have a positively influence on traffic safety in the republic.

The next day after the seminar meeting of the management of the Ministry of Construction of Karelia with heads of Savo-Karjala Road District of Finland was held. The parties have summed up cooperation for the last year and have scheduled actions for the period of 2009-2010. This May it is planned to sign the Agreement on continuation of joint activity on exchange of experience and information on projecting, construction, repair and maintenance of highways, that will promote further trafic safety on highways and introduction of new technologies at work production.