“Kommersant”: cars were offered to be allowed to turn right simultaneously with the movement of pedestrians
Photo: Konstantin Kokoshkin / Global Look Press
The Association of Transportation Engineers has found a way to combat congestion by empowering motorists. The organization proposes to change the current GOST and allow the combined movement of cars and pedestrians turning to the right in the same traffic light phase, regardless of the traffic intensity at intersections. Writes about this “Kommersant”.
We are talking about a mandatory standard that prohibits until April 2020 the organization of the so-called single-phase regulation at intersections – when the car turns right at the same time as a pedestrian crossing the road at that moment. The ban was partially lifted by the new edition of GOST. However, the introduction of such an order is possible only at low traffic intensity. In addition, traffic light sections with a moon-white arrow must be installed before the turn. The Association proposes to make this point recommendatory. The proposal was sent to the Russian Road Research Institute ROSDORNII, subordinate to the Ministry of Transport.
The initiative is supported by the authorities of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, since this will allow cars to move faster, and pedestrians do not waste time waiting for a permission signal from a traffic light, however, they emphasize, this should not affect traffic safety.
The press service of ROSDORNII pointed out that exceeding the value of vehicle intensity specified in GOST will reduce the interval between vehicles safe for pedestrians, which will make pedestrian traffic almost continuous and will not allow cars to pass through the intersection. “Both will negatively affect security,” they say.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has not yet given an official answer, but, according to the newspaper, the department does not support easing the rules. The head of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate for Tatarstan, Lenar Gabdurakhmanov, said that “the traffic capacity of intersections is important, but we are not ready to sacrifice traffic safety to it.” He drew attention to the fact that in practice the main number of accidents with injured pedestrians occurs just when cars turn to the right in one traffic light phase at regulated pedestrian crossings.
Earlier it became known that the Ministry of Justice has prepared a new draft Code of Administrative Offenses, in which fines of up to 50 thousand rubles are provided for motorists. In an interview with “Lenta.ru” auto lawyer Lev Voropaev said that new fines for drivers violating traffic rules are justified, provided that the traffic police officers, for their part, will also act within the law.
