Ministry of Emergency Situations and Traffic Police to inspect fire extinguishers in Vitebsk drivers' cars

Today, the traffic police and emergency services departments of the Vitebsk region are conducting an event on the streets of Vitebsk to check for the presence and operability of fire extinguishers in passenger cars, as reported by the regional department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Through the "Safe Car" campaign, the departments aim to reduce the number of cases of destruction or severe damage to passenger vehicles due to fires.

Traffic police officers will stop drivers of passenger cars and issue a warning or fine if they do not have a fire extinguisher. If a fire extinguisher is present, the driver will be asked to demonstrate how to use it. A new one, provided by the regional organizational structure of the RGOO "Belarusian Voluntary Fire Society," will be issued in exchange for an expended one. Fire extinguishers allocated for the campaign will also be provided for demonstration of usage skills to drivers whose own primary fire extinguishing equipment is found to be inoperable.

In addition, Ministry of Emergency Situations officers will conduct explanatory work among car owners on the need to equip vehicles with fire extinguishers with a capacity of at least 4 liters of extinguishing agent. These models are the most effective in case of a fire. A briefing will also be held for drivers who do not know how to use a fire extinguisher.

Last year, there were 80 vehicle fires in the region, and 39 in the first seven months of this year, 33 of which involved passenger cars. The main reasons for severe damage to cars are the absence or malfunction of primary fire extinguishing equipment, small-volume (1 liter) or non-certified fire extinguishers, as well as the driver's lack of skills in using them, according to the regional traffic police department.