Road traffic safety in Ukraine: state and development prospects

Abstract

Introduction. The issue of road traffic safety has been studied by many modern scientists. However, despite the research, this issue remains relevant to this day, both theoretically and practically. This is due to the fact that the concept of road traffic safety is not currently enshrined in law, and there is no unanimity among scientists on its content. Moreover, the relevance of the practical component is evidenced by the fact that over the past three years a number of important regulations in the field of road traffic safety and procedures for their implementation have been developed. The purpose of the paper is to determine the state of road traffic safety in Ukraine. In accordance with the goal, the main objectives of this study are to formulate a definition of “traffic”, “road traffic safety”, outlining their elements; determining the state of road traffic safety in Ukraine and further development trends, establishing the main directions of implementation of state policy in the field of road traffic safety. Results. Covering the issue of road safety, it should be noted that the current legislation of Ukraine does not provide a definition of this concept, but in 2016 there was an attempt to legislate both the legal category of “road traffic safety” and a number of closely related to it. Thus, the authors of the draft Law on Road Traffic and Safety defined traffic as “the process of traffic on roads and other places where it is not prohibited by the draft law”, and road traffic safety as “a state of the road system, due to which the appropriate level of protection of road users from road accidents and their negative consequences is determined and achieved”. It should be emphasized that road traffic safety is achieved through the application of appropriate measures of organizational, administrative, socio-economic and technical nature, which are enshrined in regulations and which are aimed at ensuring the proper and safe level road traffic safety for all its participants. It should be noted that neither the Ukrainian legislator nor the state executive bodies reduce the state of danger on the roads of Ukraine, so they are constantly developing appropriate programs and taking measures to increase the level of road traffic safety. Thus, in 2020, a state program was approved, the main goal of which is to reduce the level of accidents on the roads and the severity, first of all, of the socio-economic consequences of road accidents. Conclusion. According to the legislation of Ukraine, road traffic safety should be understood as a set of socio-economic and organizational-technical measures to ensure road traffic safety and road user, prevention of road traffic accidents and elimination or minimization of their negative consequences.