Today, on the Knowledge Day, experts of the Road Administration under Lithuanian Ministry of Transport and Telecommunication have conducted an open lesson on safe traffic at N8 school of Artik town.

The safe traffic pilot program will kick off at the school which was destroyed during Spitak earthquake and was later reconstructed by the Lithuanian side.

“It was no mere chance that we chose N8 school in Artik. Lithuania has supported the reconstruction of the school and we today opened a computer class here which will be useful not only for schoolchildren but all the Artik residents”, Ambassador of Lithuania to Armenia Erikas Petrikas said to Mediamax.

Mediamax recalls that the Lithuanian Embassy held such an event at Gurgen Mahari N 176 school in Yerevan last year as well; at that time, the Embassy handed out reflective safety belts.

“I’m happy that it’s already the second year that we have started September with Lithuanian experts who tell about traffic rules as well as correct use of reflective safety belts”, said the Ambassador.

Photo: Lithuanian Embassy

He has expressed the hope that as a result of the public awareness campaigns, the reflective devices will be disseminated in Armenia. The Embassy has presented schoolbags with reflective belts to the schoolchildren.

Over the past years, Lithuania has made big progress in terms of reduction of accidents and cases of children’s deaths. Lithuanian expert Egle Namanite said that the majority of the Lithuanian pupils and bicyclists wear the devices.

''The awareness campaigns have proved highly effective in Lithuania. Every day the clips on traffic rules are shown even in the public transport which makes pedestrians and especially children more alert'', said Egle Namanite.

According to her, the reflective bracelets and other devices emit light at large distances which allows drivers to spot the pedestrian in the dark.

Photo: Mediamax

Expert of  Lithuanian Road Administration Antanas Chereshka, as compared to the Soviet period, the children deaths as a result of road accidents have reduced 10-fold.

''In September and October, the nights in Lithuania are long and schoolchildren have to go to school early in the morning when it's quite dark. The reflective devices come in handy here'', he said.

In his turn, Erikas Petrikas has noted that the Embassy is going to continue the public awareness campaign in other marzes and educational institutions of Armenia to disseminate the use of reflective belts.

“We want children not only apply the devices but go home and tell their parents about them so as wearing the reflective belt could become a culture'', said the Ambassador.