Yekaterinburg launches Respect on the Move to curb deadly motorcycle crashes
The Dvizheniye Festival team, together with the State Traffic Inspectorate (GAI), has launched the "Respect on the Move" campaign. Over 50 bikers will spend three days handing out car air fresheners and leaflets to motorists, urging them to pay closer attention to motorcyclists on the road and check their rearview mirrors.
The campaign comes in response to rising accident rates. In 2025, Yekaterinburg saw 218 traffic accidents involving motorcyclists, according to the Sverdlovsk Region Traffic Police.
Last year, 520 people injured in motorcycle-related crashes sought treatment at the emergency department of Children's City Clinical Hospital No. 9. The leading causes of accidents were speeding, driving into oncoming traffic, and riding without a license. To address the issue, traffic police have tightened oversight of motorbikes since spring. This year, authorities announced the introduction of smart cameras capable of detecting riders without helmets.
"The surge in injuries occurs at the start of the season, when drivers fail to check their mirrors," said Galina Kravchenko, head of the road safety propaganda division at the Sverdlovsk Region Traffic Police under Russia's Interior Ministry. Her remarks were reported by a correspondent for NashSait.RU.
According to Kravchenko, 44 motorcycle-related accidents have occurred since the beginning of 2026, with 13 resulting in injuries and two fatalities. In April 2025, the Sverdlovsk Traffic Police reported 19 accidents since the start of the season—a 216% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
On April 1, Yekaterinburg's e-scooter sharing season began, and on the same day, police started fining riders for carrying passengers and failing to test the scooters. The Sverdlovsk Regional Health Ministry reported that 134 people, including children, were injured in accidents involving personal mobility devices during the first month of the scooter season.
