Education of road users

On the road, we are responsible not just for ourselves but also for the passengers and other road users. Road traffic violations, inappropriate, crude or rude driving are problems that are faced by many drivers. So let’s be attentive and focused, let’s behave politely and respectfully, as each one of us is responsible for making Vilnius a safe city!

Automated traffic management is not enough in order to ensure smooth and safe traffic, because traffic is influenced by every road user. Here are a few typical situations to illustrate this:

• After stopping at the STOP line, a vehicle driver decides to check the messages on his phone while waiting for the green light. The light has turned green, but the driver does not see it and starts driving only after hearing an audible signal from the vehicle behind him. The time allocated for a manoeuvre during the green light is sufficient for all vehicles detected by the transport sensors to cross without disturbances; however, as a result of the first driver’s delay, a slightly lower number of vehicles cross it. Perhaps, while waiting for the next green light, there will be more drivers who will be late to start driving?.. This is how the vehicle queue becomes longer and congestion is created;

• A pedestrian who wishes to cross a signal-controlled crossing does not push the pedestrian button. After deciding to cross the street at a red light, the pedestrian puts himself and others at risk: traffic accidents can occur that cause injuries and even deaths of pedestrians or the persons riding in the vehicles; after the accident, traffic is blocked, leading to congestion;
• A vehicle driver wants to turn left on a signal-controlled junction, where a turn to the left is regulated by a separate section or a traffic light (with arrows to the left), and stops the vehicle 3 metres away from the STOP line: the transport sensor located next to the STOP line does not detect the vehicle and the light does not turn green. The light will not turn green for as long as the first vehicle does not reach the STOP line as is required in the Road Traffic Rules. In such a case, as the light does not turn green, the queue of drivers who wish to turn left increases, resulting in congestion.

So, why do these situations occur? Because not all road users are aware of how traffic sensors operate (both the pedestrian and vehicle traffic sensors), how junctions are managed, and what impact every road user has on the traffic in general.
A study conducted in 2018 determined that, when all road users carefully observe the traffic lights and do not perform any extraneous activities, the junction is crossed by about 35 percent more vehicles than usually in Vilnius City. The average vehicle occupancy rate in Vilnius is 1.32: therefore, since most cars carry only the driver, the street network is not used efficiently and becomes congested during the peak hours. Educating the road users is critically important in order to better understand the influence we have on the traffic as we travel every day and to reach our destinations more quickly and safely by behaving responsibly and selecting efficient methods of travel.

Educational films for the drivers

The first episode offers an introduction to a charming driver who is standing at a junction and busy with interesting activities behind the wheel. It is quite amusing to watch, but in reality the result is not so fun. We observe traffic situations in the city every day and perform traffic simulations and experiments. Such extraneous actions as talking on a mobile phone, browsing online, tinting one’s eyelashes, or having a snack in a car distract the drivers, reduce the safety of other road users, as well as the junction capacity, and increase congestion.

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