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

Caretaker Minister of Internal Affairs Atanas Ilkov and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Elena Shekerletova at a briefing in the Council of Ministers building, October 2, 2024.

Measures of state institutions after the escalation in the Middle East

We firmly condemn Iran's continued missile strikes against Israel, we support the regional stability and security of the State of Israel, says a position of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs uploaded on the X network. Due to the tension..

published on 10/2/24 1:41 PM
Израелски въздушни удари в Южен Ливан, 01 октомври 2024 г.

David Avishai from Israel: Tel Aviv acted in Gaza and Lebanon for good reason

With two flights of the government Airbus in two days, the Bulgarian state managed to evacuate 169 Bulgarians and their families from Lebanon after the escalation of tensions there. "Thank God we're back, " says one of the Bulgarians with..

published on 10/2/24 12:33 PM

Bulgarians prefer the democratic world

Trust in NATO (40.1%) and the EU (59.5%) in Bulgaria has increased by 8 and 5 percent respectively in comparison to 2023, according to a study by Gallup International Balkan on attitudes towards the two organizations.   Speaking to..

published on 10/2/24 12:06 PM