Petrozavodsk buckles up

27 May 2013

On 25 May, a special event held as part of the nationwide “Buckle up!” public awareness campaign began at 1pm in a pavilion on Petrozavodsk’s Kirov Square. Since 20 May, the image of a matryoshka wearing a seat belt has been used to remind nursery school teachers, parents, passers-by, and Internet users in Petrozavodsk of the importance of observing traffic regulations.

 

The guests of honour at the official opening ceremony included: chief government road safety inspector for the Republic of Karelia, Vladimir Mikhailovich Monakhov, deputy chairman of the legislative assembly, Irina Vladimirovna Petelyayeva, deputy head of the administration of Petrozavodsk City District, Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Kremnev, Avtoradio presenter Yulia Okuneva, representative of the Russian Motorists Society in the Republic of Karelia, Elena Poteryayeva, director of the Malenkaya Strana creative centre, and the internationally renowned puppet artist Lubov Ivanovna Malinovskaya.

 

After opening the event, the speakers went round all of the educational zones in the marquee themselves. They then invited the public to follow their example. Any adult who so wished (drivers, passengers, and pedestrians alike) could have a ride in the campaign’s special simulator to experience the protection provided by a seat belt. The simulator replicates the sensation of sharp braking or a road crash. Even although it only has a speed of 12km per hour, this is enough to convince people that it is vital to buckle up both in the front and the back seats.

 

The Republic of Karelia’s “road safety matryoshka” was presented during the opening of the event. The two metre high work of art depicts symbols of Karelia: forests and lakes, the distinctive architectural heritage of Kizhi and Valaam, and the Petroglyph cave drawings that may have been left by Karelia’s very first settlers. The matryoshka’s creators believe that these symbols will remind road users in Karelia of the value of life, and of the traditions, history, principles and identify of their region. People should understand that all this is jeopardised when, by casually disregarding simple rules, road users put at risk not only their lives but also the lives of people around them. The artists intend that the images of the republic’s national treasures, which are protected by the image of a seat belt, will serve as a call to action: we have a lot to be proud of and a lot to protect! Using a seat belt is the first step, and indeed the most important step, towards behaviour that protects lives!

 

The educational activities also included competitions and tests on the theme of road safety. Every Petrozavodsk resident and visitor to the city that attended the event had the chance to test their knowledge of traffic regulations, take part in a vote “for” or “against” seat belts, have their photographs taken in matryoshki stand-in cutouts, and win prizes.

The television advert “Decorative Box”, shot in the style of a Palekh miniature, is already being shown on Karelia television channels. And local radio stations have been broadcasting short radio adverts in the style of traditional rhymed folk verses (known as “chastushki”).  The chastushki convey the following messages: it is important to set children a good example by buckling up for every journey; passengers should make their disapproval known when a driver refuses to buckle up; and passengers are an extremely valuable cargo and their safety should be a primary concern for drivers.

The “Buckle Up!” campaign is being run by the State Automobile Inspectorate of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in partnership with the Russian Association of Motor Insurers and the NGO Road Safety Russia. The main campaign events are being held in ten large Russian cities: Vladimir, Veliky Novgorod, Vologda, Saratov, Arkhangelsk, Volgograd, Petrozavodsk, Kaluga, Pskov and Moscow. 

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