Bulgaria road fatalities reach 400 since start of year

Bulgaria has recorded 400 road traffic fatalities since the beginning of the year, according to Ministry of Interior (MoI) statistics. This figure marks a significant increase in severity compared to last year, as the 400-death threshold was reached a full month earlier than in the previous year.

In a single 24-hour period, 15 serious accidents resulted in two deaths and 22 injuries. Experts attribute the high number of incidents to factors such as excessive speed, failure to yield, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and driver distraction.

The Institute of Road Safety (IPB) has raised concerns regarding the accuracy of official data. The IPB warns of a continuing practice where the Ministry of Interior allegedly excludes certain fatalities from official statistics through internal rules. The Institute suggests that nearly 100 deaths per year may remain unaccounted for in official reports, arguing that such statistical manipulations hide the true scale of the road safety crisis rather than solving it.