Red light – no road: how the round-the-clock monitoring system disciplines Minsk drivers

Red light, stop for everyone! The Metropolitan State Traffic Inspectorate took on drivers who maliciously violate traffic rules. Raids take place around the clock. The Republican system of monitoring public security. It records gross violations.

There is a popular saying: “It is better to arrive 10 minutes later than fifty years earlier.” This is a warning about the mortal danger of rushing and passing on a forbidding signal. A lot of people heard him. Are they thinking? Hardly.

Morning. Capital Avenue. I was in a hurry to work, but I never got there. The driver of the foreign car decided to fly on the red and received a powerful blow to the side wing. Both cars are repaired, a taxi passenger is to the hospital.

At another busy intersection, the road was not shared by the drivers of Belgee and Lada. Stop light for the first, but he stubbornly turns left and ... good evening! Pieces of iron on the asphalt, the injured healing wounds.

New episode. Helmsman of the German brand in full swing crossroads. I did not take into account two points: red lights on the traffic light, and a truck with a tanker on the way. The outcome of the frenzy is predictable. Fortunately, everyone's alive.

This is only a small percentage of these accidents this year. Moreover, not only drivers suffer, but also violators on personal mobility, as well as pedestrians. Here is a young man on a scooter stuck and decided to calmly pass the transition to red. Lucky to get away with a bruise. Or, for example, a woman wears a zebra. There's a stop light for her! Raise your head? Why?! Hello from the tram driver!

All cases were recorded, the violators were brought to justice. No matter how they justify themselves later – they say, did not notice or “I skipped on the green” – the inspectors are adamant. You broke it, answer it!

Another offender - just like the character of a humorous sketch-com. But one thing is a fictional series, and quite another is the harsh reality, where the rules are the same for everyone.

And even a personal holiday is absolutely not a reason for dashing and maneuvering. The protocol is not the most pleasant gift on such a day.

Within an hour or two, dozens of intruders. Of course, you will not put traffic police officers on each section of the road, so they resort to the help of the “all-seeing eye”. The network of cameras in the city is expanding monthly, intersections are designated with a special information plate. All maneuvers are monitored at the Traffic Monitoring Center. This is where all the information and incident footage comes in. The operator’s task is to check and process the data, and then promptly transfer it to colleagues for investigation.

Sergey Grigorovich, Head of the Traffic Monitoring Department of the State Department of Internal Affairs of the Minsk City Executive Committee: The prohibiting traffic light signal is not only red, but also yellow. Employees conduct video surveillance almost around the clock. This information during monitoring is recorded, collected in the form of material and sent to the Department of traffic police for further prosecution. Or, if the traffic police crew is in the immediate vicinity, the information about the offender is transmitted to him for detention and administrative proceedings.”.

There's no disruption. Camera lenses catch all drivers who do not consider anything shameful to fly through the intersection on red. If someone thinks they will, they are wrong. “Letters of happiness” will reach the recipients, and afterward will come an information SMS notification.

Denis Livanovich, Deputy Head of the State Administration of Internal Affairs of the Minsk City Executive Committee: “In accordance with the administrative procedural legislation, a driver who drove at a prohibitive traffic light signal cannot be released from liability with a warning. In the event of the initial commission of such a violation, a fine of 1 to 5 basic values will be imposed on him. And when repeated within a year after bringing to justice – from 3 to 10 base values. In addition, if the passage on the red entails the creation of an emergency situation or the commission of a traffic accident, the offender will be fined in the amount of 5 to 20 basic values with possible deprivation of the right to drive for up to two years.”.

Cameras in the country recorded more than two thousand administrative offenses for passing or switching to a red light. The same number of orders have been issued. But the traffic police emphasize: the main task is not to fine the driver or pedestrian, but to discipline, which means to make the roads safe! Your own life and the health of others are much more expensive than any risky maneuvers!