TRAFFIC SAFETY

Covering distances has been a human drive ever since the man’s “descent from the tree”. In the beginning, he walked, and then, after inventing the wheel, he began to drive. At first his cart was pulled by various working animals and then – about a century ago he managed to gain control over those “beasts“ by incorporating them into vehicle engines which today make a part of road traffic system without which normal functioning of any life activity today is inconceivable. Since the increased production of more motor vehicles and construction of wider traffic networks resulted in considerably increased traffic flows, the number of incidental situations also increased correspondingly, culminating in events which we call traffic accidents. Thus, the number of dead or injured persons in traffic accidents became comparable to other most often causes of mortality resulting from hardest illnesses. When illness is in question a person most often does not have a choice; however, in case of accidents, it is just a human being who is the principal cause of their occurrence. Parallel with the development of new technologies and technical solutions, which are unfortunately too often applied with delay, the consciousness also developed on the need to make an additional effort to bring the road traffic safety to a higher, more acceptable level. By bringing of the first National Road Traffic Security Program in 1994 the Republic of Croatia i.e. the Ministry of the Interior as the bearer of the national program began to work systematically with children in elementary schools. Until that moment about hundred children lost their lives annually in traffic accidents – about 70% as pedestrians. The number of children who lost life in traffic accidents has today decreased to eight children per year and far less is also the number of accidents involving children as pedestrians. However, the number of children who died or were injured as travellers in vehicles - with those persons with whom they should be the safest - their parents, is much higher. It is generally known that correct bringing up and adequate education are the basis for building up personalities who - when they grow up - will have prevailingly affirmative standpoint toward what has been during years of education „planted“ into their mental frame. This applies also to the education of small children, today’s walkers or travellers and future drives. In the long run, the greatest progress concerning road traffic safety can be expected from persons who today are still children. It is presumed that this is possible only by giving them correct directions, without demagogy, hypocrisy or just keeping fingers crossed. Miron Huljak, M.Sc. Eng