Published on: 2026-07-23
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The steady decline in all key accident indicators on highways is one of the most important areas of interdepartmental cooperation, including within the framework of the national project “Infrastructure for Life.” A result of the coordinated collaboration in the first half of 2026 was, in particular, an increase in road traffic safety on the network under the jurisdiction of the Federal Road Agency.
“The President of Russia has set goals for improving road safety enshrined in the relevant strategy: by 2030, it is necessary to reduce fatalities in traffic accidents by one and a half times compared to 2023, and by 2036 – by half. To consistently address the set tasks, we are systematically improving road infrastructure and enhancing safety for all road users. This work is yielding certain results. For example, in six months on the federal highways of Rosavtodor, the number of deaths decreased by 10.4%, the number of accidents by 6.4%, and the casualties by 6.3%. This means dozens of saved lives of our citizens. Achieving these results is aided by the implementation of the national project “Infrastructure for Life,” within which large-scale modernization of the road network, installation of lighting, barrier fences, sidewalks, and pedestrian crossings is carried out. We see a stable positive trend and will continue systematic work in all areas to maintain the gained momentum,” reported Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin.
In order to make roads safe and comfortable, as well as to improve regional connectivity, extensive work is being carried out. This involves the construction of new sections, reconstruction, and repair of the existing network, including major repairs – expanding the roadway to four or more lanes.
Currently, the implementation of these projects is carried out under the federal project “Development of the Federal Network” of the national project “Infrastructure for Life.” Road expansion allows for the separation of traffic flows, reduces the risk of head-on collisions, and increases throughput capacity — all of which directly affect the preservation of human life and health. Moreover, as part of the operation of the subordinate road network, the Federal Road Agency is implementing a set of measures to improve safety levels.
“As part of the work on the maintenance of federal highways under Rosavtodor’s jurisdiction, more than 190 km of stationary electric lighting, over 26 km of central barrier fencing, and more than 39 km of side barrier fencing from the roadway centerline are planned to be installed by the end of 2026. In addition, the installation of 12 modular pedestrian crossings is planned. Each of these elements directly affects the preservation of human life and health. Stationary lighting reduces accidents during nighttime by making the road more visible to drivers and pedestrians. Central barrier fencing prevents vehicles from crossing into oncoming traffic — one of the most common causes of serious accidents. Side fencing protects against leaving the road and collisions with obstacles. Modular pedestrian crossings provide safe crossing of the roadway, especially near schools, hospitals, and public transport stops,” said Minister of Transport Andrey Nikitin.
In addition to engineering and technical measures, a crucial element in reducing key accident indicators is the systematic and widespread conduct of joint road safety commissions involving the central office of the Federal Road Agency and the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.
“Interdepartmental cooperation ensures a comprehensive approach: road workers make changes to road infrastructure, and the State Traffic Inspectorate staff monitor traffic rules compliance and conduct preventive measures. Regular data exchange and joint planning allow timely responses to changes in the traffic situation and achieve a sustainable reduction in accidents. The result of the joint work of the two agencies is a decrease in the number of hazardous accident sites on federal highways. If in 2024 there were 402 accident hotspots on the subordinate network, then in 2025 this number decreased to 322. And we actively continue work in this direction already this year,” emphasized the head of the Federal Road Agency, Roman Novikov.
For example, in the first six months of this year, the number of road traffic accidents decreased in a number of regions. In particular, on the M-5 “Ural” highway in the Chelyabinsk region, it decreased by 29%, and the number of accidents on the Chelyabinsk section of the federal highway R-254 “Irtysh” was reduced by 38%. Additionally, the number of fatal accidents on the A-310 Chelyabinsk – Troitsk – border with the Republic of Kazakhstan highway decreased by 63% compared to last year’s figure.
In addition, there were 24% fewer road accidents recorded on the A-147 highway from Dzhubga to Sochi to the border with the Republic of Abkhazia. A noticeable reduction in incidents was also seen on the A-290 highway Novorossiysk to Kerch – 26% fewer than the previous year. The number of road incidents on the high-speed section of the A-149 highway Adler to Krasnaya Polyana decreased by 50%. And there were 44% fewer accidents on the roads under the jurisdiction within the boundaries of the federal territory “Sirius.”
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It represents an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.