Factors Influencing the Traffic Safety of the OZORA Festival

Abstract

Introduction: Approaching the festivals by car, the parking provided in the vicinity of the festival, and the traffic safety of the surrounding area form an area that needs to be investigated separately, but requires a lot of attention, from the point of view of the safety of festival tourism.

Objective: Crowds arriving at events in vehicles at the same time, in the case of inadequate traffic solutions, can cause problems that have a significant impact on the traffic safety situation of the area, the mood and prejudices of visitors and residents. In the case of inadequate traffic safety measures, larger than expected, possibly unresolvable congestions may develop, and this may significantly complicate the free movement of the people living in the area, those driving there and, if necessary, the authorities - ambulances, firefighters, police. In my study, I present the conditions affecting traffic safety that arose during the OZORA festival held in 2024.

Methodology: My research is based on qualitative and quantitative data collection and literature review. I conducted field research and data collection at the OZORA festival site, in personal consultation with the police, the organizer and civil security experts. In order to gain a detailed understanding of the topic, I interviewed the festival organizers and the police chiefs involved in the insurance, and I also took into account the results of the answers to the questions on traffic safety in an online questionnaire I prepared from festival visitors.

Results: Based on the research results of the study, it can be stated that poorly or late-handled traffic situations can cause significant problems in terms of traffic safety at a given festival. It can be said that a significant part of the audience arrives at the festival area by car at almost the same time and also wants to leave it at almost the same time, therefore the cooperative creation of appropriate traffic safety should be emphasized.

Conclusion: Continuous communication between the police, the organizer, and the civil security professionals responsible for insurance creates a strong and adequate basis for the immediate recognition and resolution of problems, but the police's specialized authority regulations and their monitoring force the organizer to introduce future-oriented measures that further enhance the safety of the festival.