Skopje, 30 May 2024 (MIA) – The human factor is key in preventing deaths in road accidents. Speeding is the leading cause for car accidents, over 60 percent, whereas one percent of car accidents could be due to the quality of road network, said participants in the third international conference on road safety, held Thursday in Skopje.

Organized by the Republic Council on Road Traffic Safety, the conference brings together road safety experts from North Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and Bulgaria. 

The conference aims at increasing road safety at national and international level, said Gordana Kozuvarovska, President of the Republic Council on Road Traffic Safety, adding that different types of presentations will be showcased that will contribute to enhancing road safety and raising traffic safety culture. 

“As regards traffic safety culture, in the Balkans, we are somewhere on an average level. We’re always making efforts to reduce the number of road accidents and the number of casualties. We are also part of a project until 2030 raising awareness that not a single child should die in a car accident,” said Kozhuvarovska. 

In the country, traffic culture is at an enviable level, she noted saying that road safety can always be improved. 

There will be no traffic accidents if everybody respects the rules, said Toni Angelovski, Interior Ministry’s spokesman.

“Even though there is a drop in the past three years, according to statistics, there are nearly 120 victims in car accidents,” he said adding that over 60 percent of all car accidents are caused by speeding. 

On average, Angelovski said, there are almost 250,000 fines per year, which shows how hard the Interior Ministry is working and also to what extent the rules are breached. 

Sweden with 22 causalities per one million residents annually is on the top of the list of road safety. North Macedonia is far below Sweden with 65 causalities per one million residents.

“The whole Western Balkan region has about 70 causalities per one million residents. The safest country is Kosovo with 55, we have almost 65. The human factor is the most dominant cause. In 95 out of 100 situations, drivers are responsible for the accidents and one percent of the accidents is due to the road conditions,” stated the dean of the Faculty of Security, Nikola Dujovski.

According to him, all highways must be completed by 2030.

Photo: MIA