Experts on traffic controller death: A problem of traffic culture
The cause of a crash that killed a person at an intersection in Põhja-Tallinn on Tuesday is not yet clear, but traffic management experts see problems both with driving culture and prolonged roadwork.
At the intersection of Tööstuse and Kalaranna streets, where a traffic controller was struck by a car on Tuesday, controllers continued redirecting drivers on Wednesday. Raido Jaan Rei, a traffic controller with 20 years of experience, said traffic controllers are among the most vulnerable people on the road.
"The only tools you have are hand signals, a baton and a whistle to make yourself visible and ensure you can give those signals properly," Rei said.
Unfortunately, speeding drivers are an everyday occurrence for traffic controllers and accidents also happen.
"Unfortunately, over the past 10 years, something has happened almost every other year — someone ends up on the hood of a car or someone simply gets hit or backed into," Rei said.
While drivers tend to be more understanding about short-term traffic disruptions, road construction tests their patience.
"When there are long, exhausting traffic jams, people definitely lose their cool in many cases. Long days, spending all day in the dust and sun without any shade — it's tiring for traffic controllers and drivers alike," Rei said.
Andres Urm, deputy head of the Tallinn Transport Department, said traffic problems such as running red lights and blocking intersections have become increasingly common. Traffic controllers have also been affected.
"There are also plenty of examples from the Hipodroomi intersection where traffic controllers were out directing traffic during rush hour and people would simply drive past their signals. I don't know what to say; that's just what our traffic culture is like," Urm said.
Although Tallinn's summer roadwork is testing drivers' patience, Deputy Mayor Kristjan Järvan said the city government has tried to ease tensions caused by traffic disruptions.
"In previous years, for example, there has been a great deal of roadwork in Põhja-Tallinn, and of course the work at the Hipodroomi intersection is also having an impact right now. But when we plan upcoming projects, we also try to spread the burden more evenly across the city so that the city's streets are developed at a relatively even pace," Järvan said.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski, Johanna Alvin
