Miory Regional Executive Committee

In the Vitebsk Region, State Automobile Inspectorate crews helped more than 20 drivers start their vehicles that had stalled in the frost over the weekend. This was reported by Nadezhda Kasperovich, Head of the Agitation and Propaganda Division of the GAI Department of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, to a BELTA correspondent.

GAI officers transitioned to an intensified duty schedule starting in late December 2023, due to the increased volume of motorists and pedestrians on the roads during holiday periods. "Weather conditions also necessitated adjustments to the State Automobile Inspectorate's operations – the weekend was intensive in terms of assisting drivers. Many people sought help when their vehicles froze up (especially those with diesel engines). Our officers assisted drivers on highways, in cities, and in settlements, offering motorists hot tea so they could warm up. Over the past weekend, our staff provided assistance to more than 20 drivers," noted the Head of the Agitation and Propaganda Division. "Assistance was most frequently requested by motorists in Vitebsk, Sharkoushchina, Postavy, and Polotsk – these are the areas where the highest number of cases were recorded. Overall, this work is carried out throughout the region."

Some drivers not only expressed gratitude for the support but also called the emergency line 102. "Yesterday, a local resident called from Sharkoushchina to thank GAI officers for not driving past, but instead offering assistance in the frost to start a vehicle that had suddenly stopped moving," explained Nadezhda Kasperovich.

With the start of the new quarter in secondary educational institutions, GAI crews have intensified monitoring of road conditions near schools. Priority attention is focused on nearby pedestrian crossings and facilities adjacent to the roadway.

In early January, a difficult situation regarding child pedestrian injuries has emerged in the northern region, according to the GAI. Over the weekend, a child pedestrian in Vitebsk was struck by a vehicle and sustained a fractured arm. Another accident occurred in Lepel, where a child stepped onto the road from behind parked cars. Thanks to the low speed of the moving vehicle, the young pedestrian was unharmed.

"Since January 8, GAI officers have been on duty in the mornings near educational institutions. Work is being conducted both with children

child pedestrians, as well as with drivers who give rides to schoolchildren, regarding compliance with the rules for transporting minors in vehicles. "The focus is on the morning hours, however, monitoring is organized throughout the day, including the hours when classes end," Nadezhda Kasperovich said. "Attention is concentrated on educational institutions in order to monitor all children's traffic flows."

Source: belta.by