Debrecen4U
March 13, 2026
Pictograms Draw Pedestrians’ Attention to Safe Traffic in Debrecen
City leaders and representatives of professional organisations also attended the event, emphasising the importance of road safety.
Debrecen is the third stop of the Look Around! road-safety event series, within the framework of which pictograms are used to draw pedestrians’ attention to safe behaviour in traffic. The aim of the programme is that attention-grabbing markings painted on pavements at busy pedestrian crossings – such as “Do not use headphones!”, “Do not use your mobile on the zebra crossing!”, and “Attention!” – remind pedestrians always to watch the traffic while travelling. The pictograms were created in cooperation between the Institute for Transport Sciences (KTI) and the Volán Association, and the programme will continue in further towns as well. The first stop took place last May in Kecskemét, and the second in September in Miskolc.
City leaders and representatives of professional organisations also attended the event, emphasising the importance of road safety. “A city truly develops not only when investments are realised, but also when residents look out for one another in everyday life. Transport is a particularly important area where responsible behaviour is essential, including at pedestrian crossings, in order to ensure the safety of pedestrians. In Hungary, 36 per cent of traffic accidents occur on zebra crossings. In Debrecen, the situation is better than the national average: between 2019 and 2024, 163 pedestrians were injured at designated pedestrian crossings,” said Deputy Mayor Lajos Barcsa.
Representatives of professional organisations highlighted at the event that preventing accidents is a shared responsibility. The purpose of the painted pictograms is to draw attention to the use of pedestrians’ senses and to careful participation in traffic. “Preventing accidents is a shared responsibility for all of us. The painted pictograms remind pedestrians to look up and pay attention before stepping onto the carriageway,” emphasised Lieutenant Colonel Zsolt Berzai, Head of Department at the National Police Headquarters (ORFK).
Tamás Berta, Deputy Director for Road Safety at KTI, said that protecting more vulnerable road users is of particular importance. The forthcoming new Highway Code (KRESZ) emphasises that every mode of transport must be treated as equal. He added: “At a zebra crossing the pedestrian has priority, but must also fulfil the duty of ensuring that it is safe to cross.”
Companies supporting road safety have also joined the initiative. Mihály Menkó, Regional Director for Bus Operations at MÁV Zrt., highlighted that pedestrians are the most vulnerable participants in traffic. Their safety is influenced by three factors: the design of the pedestrian crossing, the careful behaviour of drivers, and the attentiveness of pedestrians.
DKV Zrt. is also taking part in the programme. Péter Károlyi, Head of Communications, pointed out that they are pleased to participate in every educational campaign promoting road safety, including the Look Around! programme.
Representing the Volán Association, László József Tukacs, Chief Executive Officer, added that their professional organisation, which has been operating for thirty years, considers it particularly important to take part in making transport safer. In Debrecen, around 30 pictograms will be painted at six locations.
At the end of the event, participants painted the attention-raising pictograms of the Look Around! campaign at each pedestrian crossing on site.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
