site.btaUPDATED PM Radev Says Bulgaria Remains Among EU’s Worst Performers on Road Fatalities

Bulgaria remains among the European Union’s worst-performing countries in terms of road injuries and fatalities, despite years of efforts to improve road safety, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Monday during a meeting with the institutions responsible for implementing road safety measures following a fatal traffic accident in Sofia on June 5. Four people lost their lives in the crash involving two passenger cars and a public transport bus.

Radev said that efforts to reduce road trauma had been underway for years but had so far failed to produce significant progress. Citing data from the World Health Organization, he said that the economic losses resulting from road accidents amount to as much as 3% of gross domestic product (GDP). He added that the human cost is immeasurable, as parents lose their children, children lose their parents, and lives are cut short across all age groups, from teenagers and young adults to the elderly.

According to the Prime Minister, the state continues to struggle with what he described as an extremely complex and important problem. He said the causes are numerous and interconnected, encompassing road infrastructure, driver training and licensing procedures, the work of municipalities and enforcement authorities, the quality of road safety education, and the level of discipline demonstrated by road users.

Given the multifaceted nature of the issue, Radev said he had invited representatives of various institutions to the meeting, stressing that all stakeholders share responsibility for coordinating their efforts and making them more effective.

Radev has called for strict, “draconian” measures against traffic offenders who endanger the lives and health of Bulgarian citizens, saying that those responsible should not be shown any leniency.

He urged the Interior Ministry to use the full enforcement capacity of the state to curb hooligan behaviour on the roads. Radev said he expects the strictest application of the law, with coordinated action between the Interior Ministry, municipalities and other institutions to protect the lives and safety of innocent road users.

The PM also said that institutions should propose additional measures to reduce road trauma and improve overall traffic safety. While penalties and fines have been increased, he said that the expected impact has not been achieved due to the complexity of the problem.

Radev argued that delayed justice and slow enforcement undermine public trust, stressing that without timely identification and punishment of offenders, measures lose their meaning. He added that dozens or even hundreds of acts of hooliganism remain undetected, unproven or unpunished on a daily basis.

The PM also requested that all hotspots where illegal street racing and drifting take place across the country be mapped, describing them as places where reckless drivers harass citizens and put lives at risk.