On 16th February 2014, the final mission of the major project “Safe Villages Ukraine” supported by the EBRD, EASST and State Road Police Department of Ukraine was carried out by the Road Safety Support Foundation Ukraine.The project is aimed at improving road safety conditions for the most vulnerable road users – pedestrians, children, and horse cart drivers – along the M06 Kyiv-Chop road and was launched last year.
Oksana Romanukha explains how to use high visibility materials on and near the road
The project team visited the village of Bolyarka near Zhytomyr – one of the most affected by heavy traffic going through the M06 road – where a meeting and road safety awareness training with members of the local community took place.
Oksana Romanukha, Project Coordinator, conducted a road safety workshop on the topic of visibility. She demonstrated the importance, variety and best use of high visibility elements for children, adults and farmers. Later, reflective and educational materials were disseminated among children, farmers and teachers including road safety board games and puppets for schools donated from the UK by the Children’s Traffic Club and Ten Alps Communicate.
Yegor Kalashnikov distributing high visibility materials to the villagers
Specific attention was also paid to farmers (horse cart drivers) who are at most risk using the road especially during the night. There have been some terrible crashes involving farm vehicles along the M06 highway. As a rule, they are not marked properly and are nearly invisible to drivers at night.
The first ever horse in Ukraine equipped with a high-visibility neckband provided by Proviz UK
The Project team explored the high visibility materials market at home and abroad and succeeded in finding the UK producer – Proviz – which provided horse high visibility neckbands for the project at a reduced price. Horse neckbands have never been used in rural Ukraine before. Along with high-vis wraps for the horses’ legs, high-vis reflective tape on the boards of the cart, and a vest for its owner, the team hopes to keep farmers, their carts and horses visible and therefore safer on the road and at night.
Road safety puppets donated by the Ten Alps Communicate and Children’s Traffic Club
“Very often our own safety and safety of our children is in our hands. Children always watch what the adults do that is why is greatly important for parents and teachers to set a good and safe example”, said Yegor Kalashnikov, Chairman of Road Safety Support Foundation during the meeting with Bolyarka community.
The Safe Villages Ukraine high-visibility educational video was produced with the help from EASST’s Georgian partner the Partnership for Road Safety
