The study of the causes and traffic conditions contributing to the violations of road and traffic rules conducted in the Prosecutor's Office of Armavir Region showed that the number of such cases increased by 26.3% and the number of fatal traffic violations have increased by 17.6%.
The analysis shows that the number of crashes has increased by 12.5%, but the number of people who died in the result has doubled. The number of self crashes has decreased by about 9%, but there has been a worrying increase in the number of deaths in the result (3-13). The causes of the recorded accidents are mainly driving at high speed and/ or driving while insane.
The accidents took place mostly in Vagharshapat, in particular, on the Yerevan-Armavir "M5" interstate highway. Only in 2019 53 out of 166 road accidents recorded in Vagharshapat area took place among the 12-32 km section of the Yerevan-Armavir highway. Their intensity has increased especially during the agricultural and harvest seasons. The reason is that there are agricultural fields on both sides of the road, which are below the level of the interstate road for several meters. From these sections, the inter-field roads cross with the ascent on the interstate road. And along these roads the transport means approaching each other are not visible to each other. Besides, the driver of the transport means traveling in the middle of the field raises certain speed to overcome the above-mentioned ascent and suddenly appears on the interstate road, creating an emergency situation.
The problem is the lack of traffic signs at the crossroads with separate inter-community roads and the roads are perceived as equal roads, with all the consequences. Not regulated crossroads in the cities of the region also result similar problems.
In some cases, road accidents have taken place because of the road markings of highways, which have been erased and not visible from a longer distance. Drivers notice the place of return from a short distance and, in order not to miss the opportunity to return, make heavy breaking, creating an emergency situation.
Studies have shown that currently there are many cases of unregistered vehicles, that is to say, vehicles that have not been taken out from registration. Such vehicles, which do not pass mandatory technical inspection for years, are mainly used in agricultural work. They often find themselves on roads with high intensity though having serious problems and cause accidents.
According to the results of the studies the Prosecutor's Office of Armavir Region has submitted petitions to the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia, the Marzpet of Armavir, the Mayor of Armavir, the Armavir Police Department and the Division of Road Police of the Region to eliminate the causes and reasons of road accidents.
The petitions are aimed at including the above-mentioned issues in road service programs, undertaking measures to increase the number of road crossings with interstate roads, reduce the number of roads leading out of the fields and crossing the interstate highway. Competent authorities were also suggested to take effective measures to update the horizontal lines that allow for way back, to make them more visible from a longer distance, to strengthen police patrol services in the concrete areas mentioned where the accidents were more often, especially in agricultural season, to visit different communities for checking the transport means not registered but still being used and applying administrative means.
