Russia's Sverdlovsk Region sees fewer crashes but rising traffic deaths in 2026

Sverdlovsk Region's transport minister has stated that roads have improved following repairs.

"In part, this has led to higher speed limits, and at greater speeds, traffic violations or deficiencies in winter road maintenance result in more severe consequences. By improving roads, we sometimes end up with the opposite effect—higher speeds and more fatalities in accidents," Chegayev said.

According to him, current roadwork now places greater emphasis on sidewalks and pedestrian crossings. The goal is to reduce the number of pedestrians on the roadway to lower the number of deadly crashes, Chegayev noted.

Recent data shows that roughly one in three traffic accidents in Russia occurs due to poor road conditions.

• Eight people died in 652 accidents during the first week of 2026. Most crashes were caused by traffic violations, hazardous weather conditions, and drunk driving.
• While the overall number of accidents in the region has declined, fatalities have increased. The most dangerous routes are the federal highways Yekaterinburg–Tyumen and Yekaterinburg–Kurgan, as well as the regional Serovsky Tract.