SARAJEVO, September 22 (FENA) – Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region are recording significantly worse road safety indicators than the European Union average, making stronger traffic safety culture, greater use of seat belts and investment in safer infrastructure among the key measures for saving lives on the roads, it was said today in Sarajevo at the presentation of the regional “A Moment for Life” campaign.

Talis Linkaits, Director of the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community, emphasized that safety is one of the key goals of the Transport Community and that improving road safety remains among the priorities in the process of bringing transport systems closer to European Union standards.

He said the Transport Community supports concrete activities aimed at improving road safety, including reliable data collection, safer road design, safer vehicles, more responsible behavior by road users and effective post-crash assistance.

Linkaits warned that Transport Community data show that 78 people per million inhabitants were killed in road accidents in the region last year, significantly higher than the EU average of 43.

“Behind every statistic are a person, a family and a community, and such a situation is unacceptable,” he stressed, calling on the relevant authorities to complete the establishment of the Road Safety Council and enable it to operate fully and effectively.

Speaking about today’s campaign, Linkaits said its focus is on seat belt use and raising awareness of the importance of protective equipment in traffic.

“Buckle up, protect your children and wear a helmet when riding,” he stressed, adding that every journey deserves a moment of attention and that this is a simple message that is easy to remember and apply every day.

BiH Minister of Communications and Transport Edin Forto warned that BiH is recording poor road safety results and ranks among the countries with the lowest levels of road safety. He recalled that 288 people were killed on roads in BiH last year, saying this was not a figure the country could be proud of.

According to him, part of the problem lies in underdeveloped transport infrastructure, but he stressed that it is equally important to talk about traffic safety culture. Forto believes children need to be taught from an early age how to participate safely in traffic, whether as pedestrians, cyclists or passengers in vehicles.

“Children should be the focus from the earliest age, because that is how we will later have responsible citizens,” Forto said.

Speaking about seat belt use, Forto said that only 65 percent of people in BiH use seat belts, which he described as a worryingly low percentage.

“The only European country close to us in this regard is Greece, at 71 percent, and it is also the lowest-ranked European country in terms of the number of people killed in traffic accidents,” Forto said.

Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to BiH Adebayo Babajide warned that the road traffic fatality rate in the Western Balkans is approximately 81 percent higher than the European Union average, stressing that reforms, prevention and investment are key to improving road safety.

Commenting on BiH’s efforts in this area, Babajide described improvements to the legislative framework as encouraging, recalling that amendments to the Law on the Fundamentals of Road Traffic Safety, which entered into force in May, introduced stricter penalties for serious traffic violations.

He stressed, however, that legislative measures alone are not enough and that prevention and raising public awareness also play an important role.

Speaking about EU support, he said the EU is providing EUR 50 million through the Safe and Sustainable Transport Program implemented through the World Bank. The project covers improvements to safety in school zones in both entities, with a particular focus on additional measures to protect children and other vulnerable road users.

Babajide added that, alongside targeted measures to improve road safety, the EU also supports the preparation of priority road infrastructure modernization projects through the EU transport program, for which EUR 10 million in grants has been secured.

He said that, through the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans and the Reform and Growth Facility, the EU is ready to continue supporting BiH in improving the transport sector, but stressed that such support must be accompanied by the implementation of reforms.

“BiH is still not using the full potential of the Growth Plan, and the cost of inaction is very high. While the EU is ready to provide support, BiH must also fulfill its commitments,” Babajide said.

Sarajevo Canton Interior Minister Admir Katica also addressed the media, saying that campaigns aimed at improving road safety are particularly important for Sarajevo Canton, which, he said, faces serious challenges in combating traffic violations and irresponsible drivers who endanger public safety.

He stressed that this is a demanding task, but that the relevant institutions are making maximum efforts to improve road safety.

“If we want to save the lives of our citizens, we must promote such behavior and encourage the use of seat belts in traffic,” Katica said.

He pointed out that data show that about five percent of fatal traffic accidents are linked to failure to use seat belts, which is why, he stressed, raising awareness about their use is extremely important.

Transport Community Road Safety Officer Goran Temovski said proper seat belt use can reduce the number of people killed in traffic accidents by around 60 percent. He stressed that if the seat belt use rate were increased to 99 percent, it would be possible to save around 60 percent of the lives currently lost on the roads.

He warned that only 24 percent of passengers in the region use seat belts in rear seats, which is why campaigns and preventive activities need to focus more on this group of road users.

“Although it may seem that riding in the back seat is safer, traveling without a seat belt increases the risk of your own injuries, as well as the risk to the lives and safety of front-seat passengers in a direct collision,” he stressed.

Temovski also highlighted the importance of using child seats and other safety equipment for transporting children, stressing that parents must ensure appropriate protection and properly secure children in vehicles to prevent serious injuries and fatalities.

He described as particularly concerning the fact that traffic accidents are the leading cause of death among young people up to the age of 25.

He concluded that improving children’s safety in traffic must be a priority, stressing that it is equally important to increase the protection of passengers traveling in the rear seats of vehicles.

The “A Moment for Life” campaign, organized by the BiH Ministry of Communications and Transport in cooperation with the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community, aims to highlight key road safety challenges, as well as the importance of joint action by institutions and the public to reduce risks and save lives on the roads.