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Presentation to the Greek Parliament the views of the Road Safety Institute Panos Mylonas on the modified law of the Ministry of Transport and Communications “Modifications on articles of the Traffic Regulations Code” after the decision-invitation of the  Standing Committee of Social Affairs (the Greek Parliament, January 17, 2007).

 

Dear Mr President,

Dear Minister,

Dear Members of the Parliament,

 

It is a big honor for the Road Safety Institute “Panos Mylonas”, the invitation which we accepted from the Chairman of Permanent Committee of Social Affairs of the Greek Parliament in order to present our distress and the opinions of our Institute concerning the discussion on the modification of the Traffic Regulations Code.

It is a fact that the Parliament will vote tomorrow one of the most important, in our opinion, laws, because the hecatomb of victims in the Greek roads is a subject of national importance.

 Since it is a matter of first priority, a lot of our fellow-citizens with sensitivity on th subject decided the foundation of the Greek Institute of Research and Education for the Road Safety and the Prevention and Reduction of Road Accidents “Panos Mylonas” in order to contribute in the prevention of road accidents.

The cause for the foundation of the Institute is widely known: the saddly premiership of our country.

The pretext was one more death: the death of my son Panos Mylonas.  Panos was finishing his studies in the University of Patras as a mechanical engineer and  at the same time, was working as a journalist in the Car Press. He was unfairly and tragically lost by the fault of another driver, although he was a careful, prudent driver, a wonderful, beautiful young boy with talents and a brilliant future in front of him that was extinguished suddenly and darkened our own life too… Just make only the thought that could be the child of each one of you in his place, which is something I wish not.

 

This initiative initiated from his University, his friends, his professors, his colleagues, journalists and the car industry and, with our own support, was fastly embraced by a lot of sensitised citizens and was supported by Organizations, private individuals and enterprises. The Road Safety Institute is an institution which is staffed with scientists and experts that care for road safety and unselfishly contribute  to the effort of decreasing and annihilating, if possible, road accidents. From the beginning, our motive was not to mour other Greek families for the loss of their children, or other beloved persons.

Our aims are:

 

We collaborate with international Organizations and we keep informed on the most effective practices that could be adapted and applied in our country.

In our actions up today, we have collaborated with representatives of all political parties for an objective that lies beyond any disagreement between parties, so that the view, culture, mentality and the habits of Greek people to this critical matter changes.

 

Who is to blame more in Greece? Who usually causes car accidents? The driver, the vehicle, or the badly constructed roads?

The answer isn’t so simple.

Thoughtless driving  consisting of criminal violations during which certain foolish drivers are potential criminals is characterized by excessive speed,  drunkenness, violation of the red light, of priority and of the double bisector line with entry in the opposite lane of circulation.

Which monetary, administrative or penal sentence can evaluate the life of my child that was killed because of the excessive speed and the careless driving of an unconscious driver? Everyone has a portion of responsibility. That’s why parallel actions must be undertaken in all sectors.

What is to blame more? The education at home or at school, the ignorance, the wrong way of thinking of the Greek people, the inadequate police not present for preventive reasons where needed, the infrastructure and badly constructed roads, the violation of road circulation regulations and laws or the negligence of the authorities for many years till today?

The man is in the center of interest and of responsibility mostly as a driver but also as a politician, as a parent, as a trainer and as a teacher, as a constructor, as a person who is responsible for taking and implementing decisions.

 

There are definitively many problems.

And it’s not only this.

I remember the publications of my son’s colleagues where they referred to what Panos mentioned that “the roads are specific”, that we have to be careful and adapt to the conditions of the road, that we always have to drive with attention and safety…that we have to adapt until all the necessary changes happen…

 

But how many of us know how to drive properly, how many know the dangers that relate with our daily use of transportation and how many have consciousness and respect for those who move next to them?

Certainly many of us but not all. However, the existence even of few people who don’t comply with the regulations of circulation and the proper driving behavior causes dangers that prolong the problem.

 

The way of thinking on road education and behavior issues must change, that’s what we have to try for.

We know very well that the change in the way of thinking is the most difficult and the most long-term to achieve. Constant effort and organized, coordinated actions in many levels are needed. But the way of thinking that prevails in our country must change. This is the only way to stop mourn victims in the asphalt every day.

The way of thinking must change with the proper education from the family at first and then through the systematic advising at school.

At the same time, the information and sensitization of the citizens is necessary through the constant presence of the state with the laws and their implementation, the controls, the information and sensitization.

Constant effort, cooperation with organizations and informative campaigns are required.

 

Road accidents are a new phenomenon?

They “torment” our country for years. Who has responsibly informed us how to avoid them?

The mothers who sit at the front seat with their children on their knees want to kill their children?

Surely not, but they don’t know…who informed them, who talked to them about the danger?

 

We all have to comply.

What if I wear the seat belt when the others don’t? What if I drive carefully when the others don’t?

Our son who himself was a prudent driver but happened to be in front of an unconscious driver? This cost his life and we also pay for this irresponsibility.

What do we ask from our society?

PROTECTION from IRRESPONSIBILITY. In this country, everyone does whatever he wants…

And you dear Ministers, dear Members of the Parliament, let’s be the first to give the example to your kids and to the citizens sitting into your safe cars. Fasten your seat belts, wear your helmet, help to change the wrong way of thinking of Greek people…

 

There are so much that have to be done, that should have already been done many years ago…

I hear with pleasure that the construction of the road from Korinthos to Patra has began, with pleasure because the young people who study to the University of Patra and drive to Patra won’t be killed any more. And of course not only young people. I also feel some bitterness because my son didn’t catch up with the completion of the works that should have been done many years ago... the west gate to Europe. For many years the road was the same as in 1960 while the cars and the conditions were changing…the  second road that leads to Europe, a road that should belong to an underdeveloped country, a road where over 30 people are killed and over 70 car accidents happen every year.

 

SOCIAL DIMENSION

The number of victims in our country is tragic. Our country is the first in deaths in the Europe of 15 and the third after Lithouania and Latvia in the enlarged European Union. In our country, 1600 people are killed in traffic accidents per year while a number of 3300 deaths is considered disturbingly high in the UK where the population counts six times more the population of Greece. The number of victims in traffic accidents has been considerably reduced the recent years but a tendency of stabilization is noticed. Last year, in 2006, the number of dead people has been increased in comparison with 2005. While wondering if the measures that are taken are satisfactory, every effort for a solution to this problem is considered legitimate. It’s an honor for the state to pay attention to the problem.

The Road Safety Institute “Panos Mylonas” has its diffidence whether the measures taken or the fines imposed are enough for reducing traffic accidents. We believe that a coordinated, systematic and continuous effort is required in many levels and in many sectors.

 

There should be an overall approach:

·         the Road Code, the Traffic Regulations Code, which will be simplified, easy to understand and will summarize all that the citizens must know and apply, should be sent to every home

·         many commercials on TV (with a duration that is adequate also for private TV) with constant information for preventive reasons so that all Greek people become conscious that the danger is everywhere

·         better training of the candidate drivers of all kind of vehicles especially the drivers of public transportation vehicles and school buses

·         technical check of the vehicle. The drivers should realize that the technical check is necessary for their own safety and not in order to avoid possible fines.

·         the traffic policeman should have the proper training and be able to act effectively

·         issues such as the quality of roads or the limited visibility of traffic lights and signs even in the center of Athens should be solved immediately

·         safer infrastructure: the roads should have a barrier between the two directions, proper signaling and proper planning, construction and quality and should be constructed forecasting the needs for the next 20 years

·         Everyone should make an effort to change his way of thinking. The way we behave on the road is a matter of culture and a way of life. Unfortunately, while driving, we express our social unconcern and our huge ignorance of the dangers existing when not driving according to the Traffic Regulations Code.

There should be an overall approach concerning road safety.

 

Dear Members of the Parliament,

you represent regions of the whole country and you know the situation in your periphery. As an Institute, we would like to send personally to everyone of you informative material. We would be glad if we had yours and your partners’ proposals. Let’ s not forget that road safety problems concern not only the big Greek cities or the highways but every little place of Greece.

 

There are pictures that we don’t want to see. Let’s change them, we can. There are numbers that we count and they hurt us…because when your child or your beloved person becomes one more number in the statistics, then you realize how much painful it is. Because there is a lot of pain behind each number, a tragedy without catharsis… So, you have duty to help and to contribute to your beautiful country where strategy was born and civilization flourished, a country that keeps hurting us. You have duty to contribute to the society, to life which we should enjoy under the sun. It is an honor for you to help.

 

We briefly report the critical factors and sectors that we recommend to the national Authorities:

 

Concerning general policy on road safety

·       The improvement of coordination of work among the different actors and institutions involved in road safety is necessary

·       Systematic registration and analysis of the statistics relating to the use of seatbelt and helmet, to speed compliance and to alcohol consumption should be done for better implementation of safety-targeted measures and enforcement actions

·       Conduct regular evaluations of road safety measures

 

Concerning driver’s behaviour

·       Improve driver compliance with speed and drink driving safety laws through better enforcement, education, awareness campaigns and infrastructure safety measures

·       Improve seat belt wearing through conducting “blitz” campaigns of 1-4 weeks several times a year

·       Better protection of pedestrians and individuals with special needs and enforcement of helmet usage by motorcyclists and moped drivers

·       Organisation of frequent nationwide campaigns on speed, drink driving and seat belt wearing linked to enforcement

 

Concerning infrastructure

·         Implementation of international best practices for the maintenance of the existing road network

·       Implementation of the works required to treat high risk sites of road network.

 

Car has become a necessary element of our every day life. In several cases it is the extension of our mobility. It is not possible for ourselves and our children to stay closed indoors. It is our duty to create safer conditions in the roads.

The number of vehicles continuously increases, thus increasing the demands for adaptation in conditions of road safety.

Dear Members of the Parliament,

You know that even the most perfect Traffic Regulations Code could not treat this great social problem that our country faces. Far beyond the law there is a need for a great on going effort for the training of all of us in terms of proper behaviour.  Road safety is an issue that concerns all of us, it concerns the deputies of all political parties. That’s why we are ensured that you will all contribute with your strengths to face this problem. From our side, as I mentioned above, we make efforts towards the improvement of road behavior of all citizens and propositions for improvement of roads condition, signaling etc.

With the chance of discussing the draft of law, I would also like to call in alert the press representatives, the media and the educational society in the direction of changing the existing mentality. And, above all, I would like all Greeks to train all young people and children in order to create a new Greek society that will respect our physical integrity but also the life of others.

 

We do not want to believe that increasing the penalties aims at increasing revenues. How can the value of human life be evaluated, the life that very often gets lost after Traffic Regulations Code being violated  by unconscious drivers who ignore the red light or the double bisector line and enter in the opposite lane of circulation? How can human life be compared with the cost of the accident that these violations cause and which, most of the times, if not all, have human victims? We believe that this should constitute one of the targets of the state for straightforward results. However, enforcement is important so as not to “relax” and forget all about it, as usually happens.

We must finally understand that behaving according to some rules, while we drive or walk, is an issue that characterizes civilized people.

 

So, the implementation of the law is important, in order to efficiently confront the situation that creates many social and developmental problems in our country.

 

I ask for the caring of the Members of the Parliament representing all political parties, as a Greek mother who bears the tragic unfair loss of a wonderful charming young man, as the President of a non governmental Organization aiming at the prevention of road accidents, so as to all of us get interested in this issue which is an issue of life and death for all irrespectively…..

 

Thank you for the honor to listen to me carefully.

 

Vassiliki Danelli-Mylonas, President of the Board of RSI Panos Mylonas

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