The Serpukhov-Turovo highway, which passes through the Prioksko-Terrasny State Reserve, has long become a huge problem for our protected area.
Once it was a quiet country road. In recent years, it has become a busy highway and causes tremendous harm to the animal world. Nobody here can surprise a hedgehog, a bird or a marten who died under the wheels of cars.
More recently, in a short period of time, two deer and elk died under the wheels of cars. After this, the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve again appealed to the “Commission of the urban district of Serpukhov for ensuring road safety and the implementation of the road network” with a number of proposals.
To give a chance to animals and drivers to avoid a collision, the administration of the reserve suggested limiting the speed to 60 km/h in a 5 km long section that passes through the protected area. Also here you need to install traffic signs “Stop prohibited” with a sign “Towing works.”
Permissible speed in this area is 90 km / h. But as practice shows, drivers significantly exceed it. At a speed of more than 100 km / h, no instantaneous reaction will help to avoid a collision with an animal that has entered the road. In bad weather and dark time, this danger increases many times.
Studies show that the average response time of drivers to changes in the traffic situation varies in the range of 0.3 – 1.5 s. During this time, the car at a speed of 60 km / h passes about 20 meters, and the stopping distance will be from 20 to 141 meters, depending on weather conditions. For 100 km / h, these figures increase by several times.
Commission decision dated July 11, 2019 on the five-kilometer Serpukhov-Turovo road section, passing through the reserve, will be installed “Stop prohibited” signs with a sign of coverage (8.2.1 of the Traffic Regulations) and changed the marking of the edge of the carriageway from type 1.2 white on type 1.4 yellow.
But, unfortunately, no matter how hard the representative of the administration of the reserve tried to convince the members of the Commission that it was necessary to limit the speed in this area to 60 km / h, this was denied, as air becomes more polluted at low speeds of vehicles. It would seem that a good reason for the reserve, now deer and moose, trying to cross the road, will breathe not very polluted air. Although perhaps not very long.
As shown by research scientists – for modern vehicles, emissions are minimal when driving cars at a speed of 75-85 km / h and trucks – 55-65 km / h, without acceleration and braking. According to this, the speed limit up to 60 km / h with its standard excess of 15-20 km / h for drivers, will be the optimum speed both in terms of harmful emissions and safety.
We express the hope that with the next appeal of the administration of the reserve to the “Commission of the city district of Serpukhov for ensuring road safety and the implementation of the road network”, the decision will be made in favor of the safety of the inhabitants of the protected forest.