Photo: facebook.com_zelenskyy.official
Ukraine is preparing an upcoming meeting of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to address road safety and strengthen penalties for people who repeatedly violate traffic rules, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy said he discussed the issue with Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko following another serious crash in Kyiv. A speeding vehicle collided with another car and ended up on a sidewalk. According to the president, the driver had previously committed violations that should have resulted in the loss of their driving privileges.
Zelenskyy said previous petitions had also called for tougher measures, including one submitted by Oleksii Hlushych, whose 12-year-old son was killed in a traffic accident.
“We need to increase responsibility for those who systematically violate traffic rules and disregard human life. We need effective measures, not cosmetic changes to the rules and penalties,” Zelenskyy said.
He added that he expects the NSDC secretary to involve lawmakers, civil society organizations and relevant government institutions in preparing the reforms.
Crash in central Kyiv
The president’s comments followed a crash involving two BMW vehicles on Velyka Vasylkivska Street in central Kyiv at around 11:30 a.m.
According to police footage, a BMW X3 was leaving a secondary road and failed to give way and follow a mandatory-right-turn sign before colliding with a BMW X7.
The impact sent one of the vehicles onto a restaurant’s outdoor terrace, where it overturned.
