A "safe selfies" campaign has been started by Russia's Interior Ministry to try to stem the increasing number of accidents experiences by people using smart phones to take pictures of themselves.
The campaign includes an infographic guide to "safe selfie" photo taking, with the accompanying hashtag #safeselfie,
according to the Global Post.
"Some of the tips – such as advising against selfies with wild animals, firearms or at significant heights – may seem like no-brainers," wrote Dan Pelechuk of the Global Post. "But Russians have proved there's little they won't do for a solid selfie. Among the more memorable cases was an incident last month when a drunk Siberian man accidentally toppled a statue of Vladimir Lenin while trying to photograph himself with the Communist leader."
The Russian campaign also has a video and advice on the ministry's website, including warning to help selfie-hungry picture takers stay safe,
according to Agence France-Presse.
"A selfie on the railway tracks is a bad idea if you value your life," one image in the "safe selfie" leaflet was captioned.
"Before taking a selfie, everyone should think about the fact that racing after a high number of 'likes' could lead someone on a journey to death and his last extreme photo could turn out to be posthumous," said Yelena Alexeyeva, an aide to the interior minister.
The news agency reported that a Russian teenager in the Ryazan region was electrocuted while attempting to photograph himself as he climbed on a railway bridge and unknowingly came in contact with live electrical wires.
The Global Post reported that two fishermen in Siberia suffered poisonous bites from a snake they were trying to take a selfie with, and they had to be hospitalized. In another incident, a 21-year-old died when he fell from a city bridge while taking a selfie of himself.
"Unfortunately we have noted recently that the number of accidents caused by lovers of self-photography is constantly increasing," Alexeyeva told AFP. "Since the beginning of the year we are talking about some hundred cases of injuries for sure."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.