Trucks in Ditches and Snow Drifts: What Is Happening on the Roads of Belarus

The situation in Minsk and on highways is extreme.

Today, forecasters declared an orange threat level, predicting wind, precipitation and slippery asphalt. The forecast appears to be coming true. We are already getting the alarming news from the highways, the State Automobile Inspectorate warns of icy roads, while the day has just begun, writes onliner.by.

Snow on M1

Our reader sent a morning photo from the M1 highway (Brest - Minsk - Russian border).

- M1 is not cleaned at all. You can't see the lanes and curbs, - he says.

Most likely, the route is being cleaned, quite thoroughly, given its status, but when it snows, it might not be noticed if the equipment has been there some time ago.

Truck in a ditch on M6

From another reader, Uladzimir Nesmashny, we learned about the incident on the M6 highway (Minsk - Hrodna). The vehicle skidded and ended up in a snow-covered ditch.

Such accidents are always difficult to liquidate: if the truck is loaded, it is likely that it will need to be unloaded before the equipment can pull both the truck and the semi-trailer back onto the road. Again, we need to find that equipment. Who is the hauler: local or foreign, how quickly can the problem be resolved, or does the driver already need help? Winter raises difficult questions.

Vitsebsk region

Blizzards and snowstorms are expected today in the north of the country, which means that the Vitsebsk region will get more bad weather than others. The state traffic inspectorate of this region appealed to the drivers with a warning: "On November 30, heavy snow and rain are expected on the territory of the Vitsebsk region, gusty winds, a blizzard is possible. In connection with unfavorable weather conditions, the traffic police of Vitsebsk region urges drivers to increase their vigilance and observe a safe speed limit."

Drivers are advised to, if possible, refuse to travel by private transport and postpone long trips. If you did have to drive, you need to be extra cautious and move with passing lights on during heavy rainfall, as well as avoid parking vehicles near the trees.

Mahiliou region

Photos from the roads of the Mahiliou region were sent by our reader.

“This is the current situation with the road between Hlusk and Aktiabrski. They don't clean at all, and the situation is similar between Babruisk and Hlusk,” he said.

Another road accident happened today on the road between Babruisk and Staryja Darohi, another truck is in a ditch.

Homel region

In the Homel region, on the highway between Rechytsa and Svetlahorsk, there was a serious accident involving two heavy vehicles. Both trucks ended up in a ditch as a result. There is no official information about the incident yet.

Attention! The video is not recommended for sensitive people!

Minsk Region

Traffic police of the Minsk region: "At present, in the territory of the Minsk region, there are unfavorable weather conditions in the form of snow and strong wind; in some places, there is ice on the roads."

An accident involving a road train happened, according to our reader, on the P53 highway (Slabada - Navasady), near the exit to Luzhki.

The weather influences the condition of the roads in the region.

Minsk

There is also snow in the capital. The Yandex.Maps service says about 7-point traffic jams at 9 am. Problematic places, as usual, are the center and the Minsk Ring Road.

By 10:00, the situation returned to normal - only 3-point traffic jams on the roads of the capital.

Traffic police

The traffic police in Minsk warns that ice may have formed on some road sections. The traffic police recommends that drivers take into account the weather conditions, the condition of their vehicle, and their own driving skills in winter conditions.

"On ice, the main part of accidents occurs precisely on turns. In order to safely drive a turn, it is necessary to reduce the speed in advance, to avoid sharp manipulations," say the traffic police. "Drivers should keep their distance, especially in icy conditions. It should be 2-3 times more than when driving in the summer. On ice, the braking distance is significantly increased. In addition, it is necessary to correctly pass the pedestrian crossing: there is a risk that the driver will not have time to brake in front of the pedestrian. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to reduce the speed in advance in front of the pedestrian crossing, even if there is no one on it."

Pedestrians should only cross at designated locations. It is strictly forbidden to cross the carriageway: this may lead to a fall. Even at regulated crossings, you must not start moving until all cars have stopped. In the dark, do not forget about the use of reflective elements.

Public transport

Minsktrans warns: "Due to unfavorable weather conditions, disruptions in the schedule of passenger transport are possible. Consider this information when making your trip."

Accidents

The consequences of a relatively minor road accident in Uruchycha were filmed by our reader.

- Nikifarava st., 8, minibus and Mazda collided, - he said.

A serious accident occurred this morning on the Mahiliou highway: a Mazda overturned into a ditch, a driver without license was injured.

Wind

Strong winds also make themselves felt. Photos from Krasnaya Street were sent to the Onlíner chatbot. A tree fell on a car near house No. 16.

Earlier, we published a detailed algorithm of actions that should be taken immediately by the car owner.

The first step is to call the police. A fallen tree is not an accident, so the traffic police will not help in this case. The police officer, in turn, will draw up an act of inspection of the car and record the damage to the car. It matters how the car was parked. If the stopping and parking rules were violated, there is almost no chance of getting compensation.

Then you should call the employees of the housing department or Zelenstroy to the scene. We tell them that we have contacted the police and the fact is recorded. You cannot drive anywhere by car, just as you cannot allow a tree to be completely removed and destroyed. You still need to find out whether it was healthy or rotten. If the communal workers do not do this, you need to contact the National Academy of Sciences.

You can order the appropriate examination in order to establish the state of the tree from a specialist at the Institute of Experimental Botany named after V.I. Kuprevich at the National Academy of Sciences. The location of the fracture in the trunk will be studied, the structure and condition of the wood will be determined. After that, the car and the remains of the tree can be removed.

It remains to wait for a response from specialists. If it says that the tree was unhealthy, and the percentage of putrefactive formations is high, then the driver has reason to claim damages. If the fallen tree is healthy, but fell due to bad weather, it will be difficult to get payments.

The car owner needs to carry out an independent assessment of the damage to the vehicle. During the work of appraisers, representatives of the housing department (Zelenstroy) and the police must be present.

On top of that, you need to write a claim to the address of the ZhES (Zelenstroi) for voluntary compensation of damages, and attach all the received documents. If you do not receive an answer from the utility company within one month, you can go to court. We note that consideration of such cases can take several months.

Weather forecast

According to Belgidromet, November 30, the afternoon wind gusts of 15-20 m/s is expected in the most of the country's territory, icy roads and heavy snow - in the north of Belarus. Strengthening of the west wind is expected in gusts of 15-20 m/s in Minsk.

The last day to the change the tires

Let us remind you that the current legislation provides for the mandatory use of winter tires from December 1 to March 1 on cars with a technically permissible total weight of up to 3.5 tons, cars and cargo-passenger vehicles weighing over 3.5 tons, as well as buses weighing up to 5 tons. Winter tires are installed on all wheels of the vehicle. Tires intended for use on icy or snowy road surfaces must be marked with a mountain with three peaks and a snowflake inside it or with an M + S, M&S, M S, or All Seasons sign.