YEREVAN, DECEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS:

Armenpress news agency spoke with the director of the National Road Safety Council Poghos Shahinyan about the road safety issues.

- Mr. Shahinyan in what phase are the works directed toward ensuring road safety?

- Though the number of victims of car accidents has reduced but the number of accidents and injured has increased. It may be explained that with the operation of Compulsory Insurance of Vehicles in Armenia (APPA) the number of car accidents naturally increased. It does not only speak of the increase of the car accidents in general but currently each car accident is being registered for getting compensations. As to the increase of the number of injured and dead, especially from July to November, of course it is a very sad index. It is very important to note that as compared with the 2008 there is still a decrease.

- Mr. Shahinyan, each saved life is a saved citizen, what should we do decrease the figures of the statistics?

- Different approaches should be displayed. First, is the necessity of application of law. In 2009 the adoption of the law on obligatory usage of the seat-belts resulted in the decrease of number of heavy injuries and deaths.

- Mr. Shahinyan, traditionally Armenia has never been among the leaders in respect of road safety. One of the results of the adoption of the strategy and activity of your Council is that Armenia’s international rating and position improved. What will you say?

- As a result of the adopted strategy we managed to reduce the death cases by 21% and in period of two years for about 38%.It improved our image as Armenia was the first in the region which had its clear strategy and action plan for the coming years. It has clear target and actions that must be carried out.

- What steps will be undertaken in near future for registering success in the sphere?

- First of all we must continue doing what we were doing. Secondly, we must increase our efforts. But it is not a case when you reach a result and you may sit calmly. It is an incessantly changing activity. When we see that the figures are changing toward negative we must work hard, we must do what we were doing plus new activities.