Monday, October 7, 2019

Have pedestrians forbidden to be distracted by gadgets at the crossings?

"The new edition of the rules of the road will forbid pedestrians to be distracted by gadgets while crossing the road," BelTA agency quotes the senior inspector on special assignments of the UGAI of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Alexander Shevchenko. It's about using smartphones and listening to music on headphones. However, it is not yet known how they will be punished for this violation and when the new rules will take effect.

Recall that a public discussion of the draft amendments to the decree on measures to improve road safety was held in May. Now the document is being agreed with government agencies.

The issue of headphones at pedestrian crossings and railway crossings has been raised for a long time. Regularly, in the accident report, people were injured or died because they did not hear the sound of an approaching car or even a train! For example, back in 2015, in an interview with Komsomolka, the head of the Minsk State Automobile Inspection Dmitry Korzyuk said :

"Our main request: when approaching the transition, you need to make sure that it is impossible to cross this intersection with headphones in your ears. I don't like this either, as well as the fact that many cross the road without looking up from the phone screen. But if today we ban headphones, then tomorrow it will be necessary to remove hats and hoods - everything that interferes with the review. A pedestrian is simply obliged to be careful and make sure of his safety before crossing the road. We are all responsible for our lives."

What else do you want to change in the new traffic rules?

They want to introduce the concept of "personal mobility tool." This will include electric scooters, monowheels, gyro scooters, which accelerate no more than 25 km / h. Their "drivers" will be equated with pedestrians. They want to equate powerful electric scooters (over 0.25 kW) with mopeds with all the ensuing consequences: obtaining a driver's license, passing a vehicle inspection and insurance.

Cyclists will have to dismount only when crossing an unregulated pedestrian crossing. In other cases, you can ride without getting off your bike, but not faster than the speed of a walking pedestrian. They want to prescribe a green path for cyclists in the rules and also oblige cyclists and mopeds to wear a reflective vest with reflective tape in the dark.

They will introduce the so-called "rule of two lanes": they promise to indicate at what time and in what place the driver must stop to let the pedestrian pass. Now the situation with the so-called "pedestrian access" is interpreted differently, leading to conflicts between drivers and inspectors.

The procedure for passing exams at the traffic police will change - it will be possible to take it by car with a gun. In this case, they will put the appropriate mark in the rights - it will be possible to ride only on the machine. They also intend to introduce a point system of fines: it will work in addition to the existing fines. For different violations, a different number of points will be awarded. If you accumulate 15 points per year, the driver will be taken away for six months.

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