The Easiest Way to Save Lives in Kosovo
By
Dean T OLSON

Did you know that more people have died from traffic accidents in Kosovo this year than all the shootings, grenade attacks, and stabbings put together? Thousands of soldiers, thousands of police, numerous international agencies have gathered in Kosovo to regain some semblance of a normal life for the people who live here and what is it that threatens people’s lives now? Traffic accidents. Reckless driving outclasses murder as the number one killer in Kosovo. In a place known throughout the world as the scene of mass murders and ethnic violence, it is careless, reckless drivers who are killing people on the streets. But, hey, it is nothing personal. In fact, one could say that it is the most impersonal crime committed in this territory. With a reckless driver, he simply does not care if you die by his hand. You are the last thought on his mind.

Most reckless drivers, and drunk drivers, know exactly what they are doing when they commit a crime. They know the consequences of getting caught, but like the bold driver who passes a red and white police vehicle at high speed, they just do not care. It is this apathy that creates a danger to the average citizen. These are the most numerous deaths in Kosovo today, but they are also the easiest to remedy. No special equipment or tactics are required, only a change in attitude, a change for both the drivers and for the public we seek to protect. One cannot take for granted one’s safety on the streets, and therefore, everyone must be mindful of the possible dangers that they may encounter while in traffic.

The police, OSCE, and some volunteers are attempting to address this growing problem of traffic fatalities here in Kosovo by generating a greater public awareness of the problem and by informing people of the seriousness of these incidents. We plan to approach this problem in three ways:

Education – A new program has been in development to educate children of the dangers of road safety conditions within Kosovo and the ways in which they can protect themselves from harm. On the 20th of August, OSCE and UNMIK Police announced a Road Safety Campaign to educate children about ways to prevent themselves from becoming accident victims. The Road Safety Campaign was initiated by members of the Kosovo Police Service School using funds donated by France to create and finance material to be distributed in primary schools around Kosovo. The aim: To teach children how to best protect themselves from injury in the streets. Children must learn these lessons while they are young to ensure lifelong habits that could save their lives. Funds donated for a road safety campaign are being utilized to provide primary schools with educational material including informational posters and charts to teach children proper road safety. These materials will be given in English, Serbian, and Albanian where appropriate. A concerted effort between Community Policing Officers and the Kosovo Police Service will send police officers into all the primary schools in Kosovo in order to teach children proper road safety. It is our hope that this initiative will help children avoid needless injury and death in the streets of Kosovo at the hands of reckless drivers. As part of this initiative, a road safety track has been constructed at the Kosovo Police Service School where children can come and perform practical exercises to reinforce the concepts that they will learn in school.

Rigorous enforcement of traffic laws – To date over 150,000 traffic citations have been issued this year. The police are out on the streets every day to punish those responsible for turning the streets of Kosovo into a danger zone. The police have already been enforcing traffic codes with great vigilance, but no matter how many people they stop for violating the law, there will always be hundreds or thousands that elude them.

Community Cooperation – We make a plea to the public to encourage changes in behaviour for all the motorists on the streets of their communities. Law enforcement can have a limited and temporary effect on people’s behaviour, but ultimately it is the public that determines acceptable behaviour, and it is the public to which we appeal for help. Law enforcement cannot do this alone. It must be a concerted effort on the part of law enforcement and community involvement. The community must take a stand against this kind of behaviour from their neighbours, friends, or colleagues.

Apathy is our enemy in this campaign against death.

We cannot stress enough the need of all citizens to show regard not just for the traffic laws, but for their own safety and the safety of others in traffic, especially children. Such deaths can easily be avoided. It is now estimated that 25% of the fatalities that have occurred have involved pedestrians, many of those involving children.

UNMIK Police, for its part, is actively enforcing traffic laws and attempting to detect and arrest drunk drivers. Law enforcement cannot do this alone. Law enforcement cannot assume responsibility for the behaviour of others, but we can teach and we can guide others to make a change that benefits us all.

This problem affects all the citizens of Kosovo. Innocents are at risk and measures must be taken to ensure the safety of all the citizens of Kosovo. Children especially, if not properly educated about road safety, are completely defenceless when it comes to the hazards of manoeuvring through traffic. We need the help of all parents to teach their children by example. It is one thing to tell children what to do, but every time a child sees a parent exercising safety precautions it reinforces in the child’s mind the kind of behaviour and habits that the child will carry for the rest of the child’s life.

Anything that can safeguard children is worthy of our time. It is time to take an active position against needless deaths and foster a safer environment for everyone in Kosovo.

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The writer is a Public Information Officer for the UNMIK Police.