Death Toll from Road Accidents Remains Dramatic
By Tea Mariamidze
Wednesday, January 10
(TBILISI)--January-September 2017 statistics of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) shows that 4,436 road accidents were registered in Georgia, as a result of which, 384 people died and 6,280 were injured.
The statistics revealed that 291 traffic accidents were caused by speeding, which claimed the lives of 52 and injured 460 people.
117 traffic accidents occurred due to drunk driving, during which 9 were killed, and 174 people were injured.
Moreover, 16 children died and 722 were injured due to the road accidents registered in the given period.
Also, 94 pedestrians died and 1,359 people were injured last year. As for children, 8 pedestrians died and 245 were injured in a 9-month period of 2017.
However, current statistics show that the road accidents reduced in Georgia in 2017, compared to the statistics of the previous years:
In 2016- 581 people died and 9,951 were injured in 6,939 car accidents in Georgia.
In 2015 - 6,432 accidents were registered with 9,187 injured; 11 percent of the cases were fatal.
In 2014 - 5,992 car accidents took place with 9,187 people injured; 12 percent of the cases were fatal.
In 2013 - 5,510 car accidents, with 8,536 injured out of which 12 percent were fatal.
Though, the number of car accidents remains high, it is considered the tendency towards reduction is spotted due to adoption of stricter road regulations in 2017.
The introduction of a special 100-point system for traffic violations envisages the reduction of a certain amount of points for different traffic violations. Driving with high speed is estimated as a 20-point violation.
In addition, so-called “smart surveillance cameras” were installed on the roads in November, 2017.
Around 3,000 smart street cameras are planned to be installed in the cities and bigger towns of Georgia.
