As part of its efforts to increase traffic safety for its residents, the most vulnerable of whom are children, the City of Maribor together with the Sipronika company and the Triglav Insurance Company has installed an MHP50 'Your Speed' speed indicator on Lackova Street in Maribor. From now on traffic along a section of Lackova Street heading towards Streliška Street and back will flow more safely. The speed display, which is powered by solar cells, forms part of the all-Slovenian 'Calming traffic together' project, which is co-funded by the largest insurance company in Slovenia and involves actively calming traffic near schools, nursery schools and school routes in 19 Slovenian municipalities.

According to figures from the Slovenian police, vehicle speed is the most important factor affecting the seriousness of traffic accidents involving pedestrians. Calming traffic in residential areas, where pedestrians are most exposed, is therefore one of the key elements in preventive action and an effective measure for reducing the number of traffic accidents and their consequences. On Sipronika's proposal, in cooperation with Zavarovalnica Triglav and Slovenian municipalities, including the City of Maribor, the 'Calming traffic together' project was set up in order to reduce traffic speeds in areas near schools and nursery schools, where the youngest pedestrians are most at risk.

Calmer traffic on Lackova Street

Just before the start of the new school year, the City of Marbor set up a 'Your Speed' display on Lackova Street close to Ludvik Pliberšek Primary School, which is attended by 548 children. This road, which connects Ruše in the direction of Razvanje and continues towards Ljubljana, experiences very heavy traffic. The road is used daily by around 10,000 vehicles, and at least 100 children cross it on their own every day. Drivers must therefore be particularly careful along that section. The City authorities therefore applied with this specific location in the public offer from Sipronika and Zavarovalnica Triglav to cofinance setting up the speed display. 'In line with the overall traffic strategy for the City of Maribor, which prioritises the safety of the most vulnerable road users, we are working both to place devices as well as to carry out other traffic calming measures.Our aim is to ensure greater safety for schoolchildren, pedestrians and cyclists and improve the quality of life in the city. We anticipate that from now on, once vehicle drivers are made aware of any excessive speed, they will slow down appropriately,' said Mayor of the City of Maribor DrAndrej Fištravec on the placing of the display.

A friendly preventive measure

MHP50 'Your Speed' smart speed displays are classified as friendly preventive measures for improving traffic safety. 'The speed indicators currently being installed along school routes as part of this project thank drivers for their good driving or alert them that their behaviour behind the wheel is inappropriate.At the same time, the system stores and processes traffic data, which will then be displayed on a special website.We want to show how the systematic introduction of speed indicators can have a positive effect on reducing speeds in traffic calming areas,' explained Sipronika's managing director, Marjan Kržišnik. The municipality will be able to use the data collected by the display for the purpose of planning various traffic regulation measures in the wider area around the display. There will also be a computer screen permanently installed in the Ludvik Pliberšek school hall, displaying statistical data on the speed and number of vehicles on the road passing the school. As a result, it will raise awareness among children about the importance of safe driving in pedestrian zones. A sample display can be seen on YouTube.

Cutting the number of accidents

Zavarovalnica Triglav has been involved in a variety of activities designed to improve road safety for several years. In line with its core values, which include primarily safety and social responsibility, the company supported the placement of a speed display in Maribor.'We are aware of the fact that Lackova Street has very heavy traffic and that measures are needed there to ensure the utmost safety for children on their way to and from school, as well as for others using the street.That is why we have decided to help by supporting the placement of a speed display,' said Uroš Skuhala, Director of the Maribor Regional Unit of Zavarovalnica Triglav.

From June to provisionally the end of September, municipalities throughout the country will be joining forces with Sipronika and Zavarovalnica Triglav to install MHP50 'Your Speed' displays at 19 dangerous road locations, thereby (further) increasing the safety of all road users.

Zavarovalnica Triglav dd published this content on 25 August 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 25 August 2016 13:09:02 UTC.

Original documenthttp://www.triglav.eu/en/media/news/25-08-2016_calming-traffic-in-maribor-at-the-start-of-the-school-year

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