STA, 4 June 2021 - In a nationwide prevention campaign for the safety of cyclists between 17 and 30 May, officers detected 1,241 offences among cyclists and 204 among motorcyclists, the police said on their website. They will also increase control checks on single-track motor vehicles, according to the Traffic Safety Agency (AVP).
During the 14-day campaign, the police issued 1,020 warnings and 49 cyclists were caught drunk-driving. More detailed information on the number and types of road traffic offences was provided by the Maribor and Koper police departments.
Police officers in Maribor recorded 252 infringements during the period. Eight cyclists were drunk-driving. The officers issued 87 fines and 178 warnings.
The Koper Police Department carried out 48 blood alcohol tests and found three cyclists with alcohol levels two times higher than the legal limit. They detected 59 infringements and issued 46 warnings and eleven fines.
The police found that the most common offences among cyclists were riding on an unsuitable surface or without lights, using a mobile phone while riding and not wearing a safety helmet.
The AVP also announced increased controls in view of the worsening road safety situation for drivers of single-track motor vehicles, as almost half of the fatalities on roads in May were motorcycle drivers.
As a result, all eight Slovenian police departments have already started putting up silhouettes of police officers, which help in slowing down the traffic, according to 2019 data. Average speeds are expected to drop by up to 20%, and the AVP also said that police would periodically carry out aerial traffic monitoring.
According to provisional data from the AVP, 138 motorcycle riders and 90 moped riders had been involved in road accidents up until the end of May. Almost two thirds of the accidents were their own fault, the agency added.
The AVP continues to highlight drunk-driving as a major problem, as eleven out of 85 motorcyclists who caused accidents were driving under the influence of alcohol.
