One of the most dangerous pedestrian crossings in Bucharest made safer with the help of Generali Romania
21 April 2021
On April 13, 2021, the pedestrian crossing on one of the boulevards in Bucharest, became the first one in the city to benefit from a state of the art, two-component, non-slip carpet. The improvements were carried out by the Association for Education, Development and Youth Involvement (EDIT), with the financial support provided by Generali Romania.
The area was not chosen by chance, given that over 400 children from a neighboring school and a kindergarten use it daily to cross the boulevard. At the same time, the high risk of this crossing is illustrated by the statistics of the Romanian Police: in 2020 alone, even in the less intense traffic conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 21 road accidents, in which 4 people died, 5 were seriously injured and 16 were slightly injured.
The technique used to involve the application of a rough, red surface, 17 meters before the crossing, on each direction of travel. This surface benefits from increased visibility and, at the same time, substantially reduces the breaking distance due to its non-slip properties.
Adrian Marin, CEO of Generali in Romania, detailed: “We strongly believe in the importance of a proactive approach and constant improvement of all elements of road infrastructure, because such efforts ultimately translate into more lives saved. We also believe that these steps are only part of a whole, which must be completed with road education and accountability actions for all traffic participants.”
The initiative is part of the National Safety Education Program - "Romania in Safety" developed by EDIT together with the Romanian Police and the Ministry of Education and Research.
Road safety and “Clever Zebra Crossing” for pedestrians is also an important topic for Generali Hungary and its Generali Foundation for Safety. It was established in 1995 to support the achievement of social goals that contribute to maintaining health, increasing traffic safety, and creating opportunities for healthy physical and mental development for children and young people.