The latest amendments to the Road Traffic Act entered into force in the beginning of this week in Bulgaria. They envisage unprecedented penalties, fines and sanctions against dangerous drivers. The greater part of the Bulgarian society has welcomed the new amendments and others even called on the authorities to introduce even heftier fines and more stringent measures against those drivers and show zero tolerance to all who dare violating road traffic rules, because those individuals are behind the so-called Traffic War on the Bulgarian roads. The latest amendments to the Road Traffic Act are due to a series of reasons. A Bulgarian TV host clearly said it was mainly due to the lack of frightening penalties and lack of control.

Each year nearly 1,000 Bulgarians fall victims to road accidents and dozens of thousands are injured on the Bulgarian roads which do not meet even the basic European requirements in terms of quality, safety and comfort. The motorways In Bulgaria barely live up to the European idea of what such type of road infrastructure should be like. The quality of the so-called first class roads, which are of national significance, corresponds to the quality of the main roads that existed in Europe in the 1970's. The secondary road network connecting the small towns and villages looks like a moto-cross road, rather than a normal road network. Drivers often jump with their vehicles into half-meter deep holes on those roads. Whole sections of the secondary road network were affected by landslides and the asphalt layers are of very poor quality. Moreover, the country's roads are full of irresponsible, impudent and aggressive young people who drive powerful and expensive vehicles and violate road traffic rules.

Bulgaria tops the EU ranking in terms of road traffic fatalities. This country is among the EU member states with most dangerous roads. This is due to economic, political and construction reasons. Moreover, this is an international problem, because hundreds of thousands foreign passenger and cargo vehicles cross the Bulgarian roads as well.

That is why road traffic control is of great significance. The new amendments to the Road Traffic Act will not solve the problem related to the poor quality of the country's roads. However, they can make the lives of all dangerous drivers difficult, if they start obeying road traffic law. Currently, the authorities fail to collect nearly 60% of all fines imposed on Bulgarian drivers and those drivers are not held responsible for that. However, according to the latest amendments, the fines increase twofold and will place a serious financial burden to most Bulgarians. Moreover, the electronic systems of the Traffic Police and the National Revenue Agency will monitor automatically whether people pay their fines or not. The sanctions for those who fail to pay their traffic fines become astronomical and would perhaps make even the hotheads become more responsible on the road. From now on the Traffic Police will be also able to take the registration plates off their vehicles.

It is still unclear how often the Traffic Police will resort to that measure. Despite the latest amendments to the Road Traffic Act, the authorities do not have a magic wand to solve all problems on the roads. One thing is for sure, the opportunity of the Traffic Police to take off registration plates is more frightening of all measures adopted so far. That is why the competent authorities have all chances to succeed in their battle against road traffic violations. Moreover, the Bulgarian society approves that measure and will perhaps assist the state authorities to enforce road traffic law. The Traffic War on the Bulgarian roads must end, even if Traffic Police has to resort to the most stringent measures against the dangerous drivers. Let us wish good luck to the authorities, because the cause is worthy.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov