Kumanovo Police Hand Out Leaflets About Children in the Front Seat - While Last Year 26,739 Drivers Were Penalised for Driving Without a Licence

In Kumanovo, police officers stopped next to cars and handed leaflets to drivers. The campaign by the Prevention Unit of the Kumanovo Interior Ministry office is called "Children in the Front Seat - NO" and reminds people of something the law has required for a long time: babies in a carrier and children under 12 must not ride in the front seat.

The head of the unit, Lile Mladenovska, called for the strictest compliance with the Road Traffic Safety Law. The message also included a warning that if an accident with serious consequences for passengers happens through the driver's fault, the harshest measures under that law and under the Criminal Code will follow.

At the same time, the national Road Traffic Safety Council is launching a campaign called "I Learn - I Pass - I Drive" for third- and fourth-year high-school students, who will soon be getting behind the wheel. The numbers the Council cites explain why: in 2025, 132 people were killed on Macedonian roads, and in 2024, 142. Last year alone, the Interior Ministry penalised 26,739 drivers for driving without a licence.

The campaigns are welcome, but they are leaflets and lectures. Almost 27,000 unlicensed drivers in a single year is hardly a problem of people simply not knowing the rules. Everyone knows you don't drive without a licence. Is an appeal enough for them, or do we need checks that catch them before the crash, not after it?