During the first six months of this year, 2,860 road accidents occurred, 3,860 people were injured, and 216 people died. These figures are significantly higher compared to the same period last year. The increase in fatalities, which has risen by 20%, is particularly alarming. “The time for patience is over, and we must take active measures because citizens are literally dying before our eyes, and we know that this is preventable,” said Eka Laliashvili, Chairperson of the Board of the organization “Georgia Alliance for Safe Roads,” at the “Week” press club.
Eka Laliashvili cited Finland as an example of reducing fatalities and severe injuries from road accidents.
“Last year, Finland achieved zero fatalities – not a single person died in road accidents throughout the year. This is a major victory, not only for Helsinki but for everyone who believes in the justification of the Vision Zero approach. Similarly, in Georgia, we may not achieve this within a single year, but we can clearly reduce the number of deaths and severe injuries from road accidents annually. In Finland, this did not happen by chance; they have a safe system model that covers all directions – transport infrastructure, public awareness, legislation and its enforcement, post-accident medical care, and more. Everything is organized so that human errors, which are acknowledged to occur on roads, can be mitigated,” Laliashvili said.
She emphasized that the role of both the state and society is crucial.
“According to the national strategy, Georgia has an obligation and a goal to reduce severe outcomes by 25% by 2025 compared to 2020, and by 2023, the reduction should total 50%. This is part of the UN Decade of Action, whose goal is to reduce fatalities and serious injuries by 50% over ten years, and Georgia is part of this initiative. Therefore, we must act, because instead of seeing a reduction, we witness severe cases increasing before our eyes,” Laliashvili said.
She noted that current road accident statistics only record cases caused by human error, such as speeding, improper maneuvers, or driving in the wrong lane. However, there also needs to be statistics on infrastructure.
“We need data showing whether accidents occurred due to infrastructure defects, vehicle malfunction, or a combination of factors. We need a complete picture, not just one based on human error. This will enable the state to target black spots effectively and implement reforms that will help reduce road accidents. Every reform must be directly linked to results; otherwise, neither increasing fines nor legislative changes will matter if they do not produce outcomes,” Eka Laliashvili said.
Eka Laliashvili: During the first six months of this year, 2,860 road accidents occurred, 3,860 people were injured, and 216 people died; The fatality rate has increased by 20%, which is alarming
