With a package of 31 measures and legislative changes, the State is working around the clock to bring road safety under control, said the Minister of Transport and Communications, Georgi Peev. He and Deputy Minister of Transport Hristina Velinova took part in a safe driving demonstration training session at the Drakon race track near the village of Kaloyanovo, organised jointly with the civic initiative “SIYANIE”.
Both of them tested critical situations on the road. The initiative is part of the Government’s targeted efforts to reduce serious road traffic injuries, where statistics show alarming trends.
During the meeting, Minister Peev presented detailed information on serious accidents. He noted that over 50% of crashes involving new drivers are single-vehicle crashes caused by a lack of sufficient skills in critical situations, rather than collisions with another vehicle. As a further example, the Minister referred to a recent night-time incident on a wide road with perfect visibility, in which an empty bus with no passengers veered into oncoming traffic in a head-on collision, with no other objective causes apart from the human factor, fatigue or distraction.
To counter such tragedies, a robust preventive approach is being prepared. The State plans to build at least six specialised training grounds. New drivers will be required to undergo special training there during the first two years after obtaining their licence in order to master hazards such as aquaplaning, reverse curves and low road grip, with the aim of building lasting reaction reflexes. Statutory restrictions on vehicle engine power for new drivers during this two-year period are also being considered.
The Minister was adamant that fines alone do not solve the problem. “We have to start from school, from the family, and we have to change the culture of the people who drive – that is precisely why I am here today for this joint event.” He added that campaigns in schools and changes to training, including advanced training, are needed, and only after that should enforcement and fines follow.
Minister Peev drew a comparison between sectors and reassured the public about safety, citing aviation as an example: “There is no aircraft that we do not have information about and that is not under our control. So rest assured about all aircraft in our airspace.”
