Road safety: Increasing number of traffic accidents across Bosnia

"The indicators show us the need for urgent and systemic action, primarily in the institutional and management framework in which traffic safety must be a strategic goal, commitment and obligation," said Assistant Professor Adnan Omerhodzic of Sarajevo Faculty of Transport and Communications, speaking about his assessment regarding the frequent news about traffic accidents, often resulting in deaths of people on the roads.

Speaking to Fena news agency, he said that urgent systemic action involves creating a road traffic safety strategy and accompanying action plans and programs focused on key problem areas such as: strengthening institutional cooperation between key players in the traffic safety system (relevant ministries of transport, interior, education, spatial planning, etc.); improving safety and technical elements of traffic infrastructure; improving the technical safety of vehicles, as well as improving the system of education and training of traffic participants, especially young drivers.

This year, there has been an increase in the number of recorded traffic accidents compared to the same period last year, the Sarajevo Canton Police Administration said. It was also said that the most common causes are: improper lane changes, inappropriate speed, reversing on a short section of the road, insufficient distance between vehicles, etc. These causes were recorded in more than a quarter of all recorded traffic accidents.

When it comes to accidents involving motorcyclists, 14 were recorded in the first five months of this year, six more than in the same period last year. In the first five months, two motorcyclists died, while in the same period last year there were no fatalities recorded.

The Police Directorate of the Sarajevo Canton Ministry of the Interior continuously implements preventive and repressive measures aimed at reducing the number of traffic accidents, especially the deaths of people on the roads. Similarly, in accordance with the studies, the technical capacities used by the Police Directorate are being improved, aimed at detecting irregular and risky behavior in traffic and sanctioning perpetrators.

Sarajevo Canton is seeing an increase in the number of vehicles on the roads year after year, and the road infrastructure is not developing at the same intensity, which leads to traffic jams.

More caution by all road users, minimizing distracting factors such as the most common - illegal use of mobile phones while driving, as well as attention to the movement of pedestrians and cyclists, especially people who ride e-scooters, would significantly contribute to increasing traffic safety, the Sarajevo Canton Police Administration also said.