Детская смертность на дорогах Саратовской области выросла в два раза

The number of fatalities among individuals injured in road traffic accidents on regional highways has increased, alongside a rise in child deaths from such incidents. Throughout 2025, the Saratov region recorded over 20,000 traffic collisions, leading to injuries for 3,122 people. Об этом сообщает "МК Саратов".

During 2025, roads in the Saratov region saw 332 traffic accidents involving children and teenagers under 16 years old. These incidents resulted in injuries for 373 children, a slight increase from 370 in 2024. Tragically, 20 minors lost their lives, a figure substantially higher than in previous years, where 10 children died in 2024 and 8 in 2023. These statistics are detailed in the annual report from the Children"s Rights Commissioner for the Saratov region.

The majority of these incidents involved child passengers, with 141 collisions causing injuries to 169 individuals. Additionally, 106 accidents involved young pedestrians, resulting in injuries for 107 children and the deaths of two. For underage cyclists, 29 accidents were recorded last year, leading to injuries for 26 children and three fatalities. Furthermore, 55 collisions occurred with young motorcycle riders, leaving 54 children injured, compared to 46 in 2024 and 34 in 2023, and one child driver died.

In total, the region reported 20,700 road accidents in 2025, leading to the deaths of 285 individuals, according to data from the regional General Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (ГУ МВД). Of these, 214 accidents were attributed to intoxicated drivers. The primary factors contributing to these traffic incidents included driving into oncoming traffic lanes, failing to adjust speed and driving style to prevailing conditions, violating pedestrian crossing rules, disregarding intersection regulations, and improper selection of safe following distance.

During a regional government meeting in late January, Saratov Region Prosecutor Sergei Filipenko brought up the objective of the national project "Infrastructure for Life," which aims to reduce road accident fatalities by 1.5 times by 2030 and by two times by 2036.

"Однако статистика демонстрирует обратную динамику," - считает он. The prosecutor added that in 2025, mortality on regional roads increased by 31%. Filipenko cited an incident from spring of the previous year on the Balakovo - Dukhovnitskoye - Pugachev highway as an example, where five people were injured, including four children. He noted that mandatory road signs indicating a turn were missing at the time of the accident, and the installation of safety barriers had not been considered.

The regional State Traffic Inspectorate (Госавтоинспекция) regularly releases data on accidents involving injuries. For instance, on the evening of 6 March in Engels, an 18-year-old college student driving a "Volvo-460 GL" struck a woman and fled the scene. The injured woman was hospitalized. The driver responsible for the incident was apprehended at his residence and taken to a police department for further investigation, as reported by the regional State Traffic Inspectorate (ГАИ). No signs of intoxication were found in the suspect.

On 9 March, a farewell ceremony was held in Balakovo for theater and film actress Ekaterina Vedunova and her 15-year-old daughter Elina, who died in a car crash. The fatal accident occurred on the evening of 4 March in Mordovia. The family was traveling towards Moscow when the 77-year-old driver, according to preliminary information, lost control of the vehicle. The car then swerved into the oncoming lane and collided with a truck.

Ранее мы писали, что в минувшем 2025 году на территории региона было зафиксировано 20,7 тысячи дорожно-транспортных происшествий. В результате этих инцидентов погибло 285 человек, среди которых 20 детей. Травмы различной степени тяжести тогда получили 3122 человека, включая 373 ребёнка.