Uzbekistan may implement Vision Zero strategy

On February 18, the Senate held a regular meeting of the Parliamentary Commission to monitor the implementation of the National Goals and Objectives in the field of sustainable development until 2030, Gazeta.uz correspondent reported.

The main focus was on road safety and prevention of traffic accidents. In particular, it is planned to implement the Vision Zero strategy to ensure road safety in Uzbekistan.

According to Bekmurad Abdullayev, Deputy Interior Minister and Head of the MIA Public Security Department, The experience of more than 10 countries, including the United States, South Korea, Turkey, Sweden, Russia, Germany, the UAE, and Norway, which have a high level of road safety, was studied in order to prevent issued related to traffic accidents.

“Especially in Sweden, the experience created to prevent fatal accidents has been found to be the most effective, and this experience has been applied in many of the countries mentioned above. In particular, the Vision Zero Concept, introduced in 1997, states that the main goal is to prevent the occurrence of fatal accidents, that is, to reduce their number to zero. Using the above experience, taking into account our national legislation and conditions, we have developed a concept of a smooth road on the example of Fergana region,” Bekmurad Abdullayev said.

It was noted that a memorandum of cooperation on its implementation was signed on November 11, 2021 between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Fergana regional administration. In order to ensure its implementation, the regional staff and working groups have been formed and the main tasks in 5 areas have been identified. In the short term, it has paid off.

“We have chosen Fergana because the share of traffic accidents is in Fergana region. As a result, in the last 3 months, the total number of accidents has decreased by 30%, the number of fatalities – by 21% and the number of injuries – by 38%. In particular, the number of incidents involving pedestrians was reduced by 32%, the number of fatalities – by 28% and the number of injured – by 38%,” he said.

In addition, the number of incidents involving children decreased by 33%, the number of deaths – by 75% and the number of injured children – by 18%.

According to him, a new system of preventive measures is being developed.

At the meeting, Senate Speaker Tanzila Narbayeva also commented on the need to teach children the traffic rules from an early age. “Police officers still can’t reach all the institutions. So if educators and teachers know this and it is advisable to make a system of teaching children, but you have to develop textbooks,” she said.

For information, Vision Zero is an international program to improve road safety and reduce deaths in road accidents. The concept is based on the principle of “zero tolerance” for deaths on highways and provides for their design in terms of road safety.