Ukraine Records 300 Traffic Accidents, 21 Deaths In First 3 Days Of January

Ukraine has recorded over 300 traffic accidents and 21 road deaths in the first three days of 2023, as road transport infrastructure became one of the casualties of the Russian-led war.

In her briefing at Media Center Ukraine - Ukrinform, Mariana Reva, the spokesperson for the National Police of Ukraine, said more than 300 traffic accidents that occurred from Jan. 1 to 3 killed 21 people and injured 350 others.

Reva noted that on New Year's Day alone, 120 road accidents were recorded, killing six Ukrainians and leaving more than 140 injured.

"We emphasize once again: be especially careful and responsible, including when driving," Reva reminded Ukrainian motorists.

In October, Ukraine's capital Kyiv recorded an increase in road accidents and related deaths after the city suffered blackouts due to Russia's attack on energy infrastructure.

Traffic lights and street lights were not working due to blackouts, Kyiv-based news outlet Khmarochos reported.

To address the situation, the city's police increased the number of traffic controllers deployed at 55 intersections in Kyiv that were identified as critical.

In May last year, 26 people were killed in a collision incident involving a bus, a minibus and a fuel truck in the Rivne region of western Ukraine, Reuters reported.

A study by the Kyiv School of Economics revealed that damages caused by Russian strikes against Ukraine's infrastructure, including roads, railways and bridges, have amounted to $35.3 billion.

But even before Russia invaded Ukraine, road accidents have been a perennial problem for the country.

According to the 2016 report by the Global Road Safety Facility of the World Bank, the cost of fatalities and serious injuries related to road accidents in Ukraine was $4.429 billion.

The report also stated that Ukraine had no road safety lead agency to address the issue.

But in 2020, the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure unveiled a national traffic safety program that aims to reduce traffic deaths by at least 30% in 2024 and by 50% in 2030.

Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Kryklii said implementing the road safety program would save more than 1,000 lives each year.

The ministry has allocated $65 million to build new road safety structures, such as roundabouts and illuminated pedestrian crossings.

The Ukrainian government would also introduce a smart transport system and establish a system for fast assistance to victims of road accidents.