Experts point to traffic culture after fatal Tallinn crash

Traffic culture and prolonged roadworks may have contributed to a fatal crash at an intersection in Tallinn’s northern district, ERR reported, although the exact cause of Tuesday’s accident has not yet been established.

A traffic controller was hit by a car at the intersection of Tööstuse and Kalaranna streets. Drivers were still being redirected at the intersection on Wednesday.

Raido Jaan Rei, a traffic controller with 20 years of experience, said traffic controllers were particularly vulnerable because their only tools were hand signals, a baton and a whistle.

“Unfortunately, over the past 10 years, there has been some incident almost every year in which someone has been driven into or hit and pushed onto a bonnet,” Rei said. Speeding drivers were a daily occurrence for traffic controllers, he added.

Rei said drivers were generally more understanding during short traffic stops, but prolonged roadworks could test their patience. Long traffic jams, dust and spending entire days in the sun without shade were exhausting for both controllers and drivers, he said.

Andres Urm, deputy head of Tallinn’s Mobility Department, said violations such as ignoring red lights and blocking intersections had become increasingly common. Traffic controllers were not spared either.

“At the Hipodroomi intersection, there are many examples of traffic controllers being out during rush hour and drivers simply driving past their signals. I cannot say anything else. Our traffic culture is simply like that,” Urm said.

Deputy Mayor Kristjan Järvan said the city government had tried to reduce tensions caused by traffic delays during summer roadworks. When planning future projects, the city also considered how to distribute the workload more evenly across the city, he said.