Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

National protest demanding tougher penalties for road accidents, legislative changes and better road infrastructure

Photo: BGNES - archive

A national protest against road accidents will take place today. Roads will be blocked in a number of cities across the country where serious accidents have occurred. 

"We are at war. Every year 500-600 people die in road accidents involving motor vehicles. Most of the victims are young people," Ivan Spasov, organiser of the protest and representative of 250 Bulgarian families who have lost loved ones in road accidents, told BNR. 

The protesters want tougher penalties, legislative changes and better road infrastructure. Among their demands is that driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs be recognised as a deliberate crime. According to Spasov, under the current law, if a driver kills a person, he now remains in custody for 3 months. After that, he either absconds or gets a suspended sentence.

In 2022 alone, 531 people were killed and 8,422 injured in 6,609 serious traffic accidents on Bulgaria's roads, according to Interior Ministry statistics.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

One more group of Bulgarian citizens return from Lebanon

The first group of Bulgarian citizens evacuated from Lebanon with the help of Canada came home last night, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry has announced. This took place in close coordination between the Foreign Ministry’s Situation Centre, the..

published on 10/5/24 9:25 AM

Warning of hazardous precipitation across Bulgaria

On Saturday, the lowest temperatures will be between 14 and 19°C; in Sofia - about 16°C. In the western regions, the highest temperature will be 19-20°C, while in the eastern regions of the country the temperature will reach up to..

published on 10/4/24 6:55 PM

EU's court lifts requirement for trucks to return to operational centre every two months

The Court of Justice of the EU has overturned part of European legislation requiring trucks for international transport to return every two months to the carrier's base. With its decision, the institution confirmed all other..

published on 10/4/24 4:31 PM