TRAFFIC SAFETY SITUATION AND THE ROLE OF THE DRIVERS FOR THE ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETY IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA Boris Murgoski, PhD Zlate Dimovski, PhD Kire Babanoski, MSc Ice Ilijevski, MSc

Contents Introduction Review for volume, dynamics, causes and structure of the participants in road traffic accidents in the Republic of Macedonia Results, Discussion and Conclusion Bibliography

Key results Table 1. Review for volume and dynamics of the road traffic accidents with serious consequences in the Republic of Macedonia in the period 2008-2012 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Average TOTAL road traffic accidents 4403 4353 4223 4.462 4.108 4.310 21.549 casualties dead 162 160 172 132 158 788 Injured (seriously & slightly) 6724 6731 6375 6.853 6.149 6.566 32.832 6886 6891 6537 7.025 6.281 6.724 33.620

Key results Table 3. Review of road traffic accidents by faults and structure of the road traffic users in the Republic of Macedonia in the period 2008-2012 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Average TOTAL Drivers 4.112 4.030 4.012 4.195 3.865 4043 20.214 Pedestrians 254 273 175 227 200 226 1.129 Passengers 7 9 4 11 15 46 Vehicles 13 18 3 1 44 Roads 6 10 19 52 Other causes 12 20 8 64 4.403 4.353 4.223 4.462 4.108 4310 21.549

Discussion the most common reason for the occurrence of the road traffic accidents is drivers. Driving too fast on the roads , followed by disobeying the rules driving, improper movement and turning, wrong side and direction of movement, inappropriate overtaking and driving under the influence of alcohol. most of the faults, even 93.8 % come from drivers, 5.2 % of pedestrians, and the rest goes to the passengers, vehicles, roads and other reasons. In fact, in 99 % of the cases, the main reason is the human factor, which confirms the thesis that man is the main actor and blamed for accidents on the roads. more than half of the casualties in road traffic accidents (50 %) were result of mutual collisions of vehicles in motion, rather than the overthrow or trampling pedestrians (16 %) and driving off the road (13 %).

Conclusion irresponsible (irregular, dangerous) behaviours, activities and processes in the road traffic, from which may arise accidents and negative effects, can be grouped into the following three categories and appear in the form of: 1 ) violation of traffic rules and regulations (disregard the primacy of passage, wrong side and direction of driving and improperly turning while driving, unsafe distance between vehicles, crossing the road outside the pedestrian crossing); 2 ) violation of the road traffic signs: high speed driving, passing a red light, overtaking in the forbidden areas and in dangerous situations – improper overtaking, disobeying the sign "STOP"; 3 ) violation of security measures: non-use of safety equipment, driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotic substances, talking on a cell phone while driving.

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