advertisement
Sat, Feb 11 2012
Bulgarian traffic police launch safety campaign
Bulgarian traffic police
Photo: Valentina Petrova
Bulgarian traffic police KAT will initiate a safety campaign under the slogan "Saving 300 lives – use safety belts" on October 23, which will last until November 11 2009, the Bulgarian National Television said on October 22.
The organisers have said that in order for the campaign to yield positive results, it will have to be taken seriously by drivers and that everyone must actively participate in it.
"It is important that people are motivated, that they use their safety belts because they want to, not because it will save them from getting a fine. It must become a second nature to them, a reflex if you will," said KAT chief commissioner Krassimir Kostov, as quoted by BNT.
Statistics show that in Bulgaria, front seats safety belts are used in 85 per cent of the trips between cities and by 65 per cent within urban areas. The alarming statistic, however, is that when it comes to the use of rear seats safety belts, the usage in Bulgaria drops down to zero per cent.
By contrast, in most Western European countries, front seat safety belts are used by about 95 per cent of the population, whereas rear seat belts – by about 85 per cent.
According to KAT's Alexi Kessiakov, as quoted by the BNT, "over 330 people lost their lives in 2008, deaths which could have been prevented had the people used safety belts. Of the 112 people who died last year and were rear-seat passengers, only eight of them used the belt".
The organisers have said that in order for the campaign to yield positive results, it will have to be taken seriously by drivers and that everyone must actively participate in it.
"It is important that people are motivated, that they use their safety belts because they want to, not because it will save them from getting a fine. It must become a second nature to them, a reflex if you will," said KAT chief commissioner Krassimir Kostov, as quoted by BNT.
Statistics show that in Bulgaria, front seats safety belts are used in 85 per cent of the trips between cities and by 65 per cent within urban areas. The alarming statistic, however, is that when it comes to the use of rear seats safety belts, the usage in Bulgaria drops down to zero per cent.
By contrast, in most Western European countries, front seat safety belts are used by about 95 per cent of the population, whereas rear seat belts – by about 85 per cent.
According to KAT's Alexi Kessiakov, as quoted by the BNT, "over 330 people lost their lives in 2008, deaths which could have been prevented had the people used safety belts. Of the 112 people who died last year and were rear-seat passengers, only eight of them used the belt".
-
Print
-
Send via email
- Translate to
-
Share:
Comments
To post comments, please, Login or Register.
Please read the The Sofia Echo forum comments policy.
Wet road conditions and reduced visibility across Bulgaria
Traffic police KAT has announced that the road situation across the country was precarious because of wet road conditions and reduced visibility, requesting that all drivers remain alert and drive responsibly, Dnevnik daily reported on November 9 2009.
Bulgaria's traffic police launching 'Operation Light'
Motorists must have their headlights switched on at all times when driving, and winter tyres fitted to their vehicles. Fines will range from 20 to 40 leva.
More in this category
US embassy in Sofia announces youth essay contest
Works will be reviewed by a group of judges, and winners will receive certificates and prizes.
Bulgarian police bust drug distribution gang in ‘Operation Hammer’
Seven arrested, including ‘The Squirrel’ who was found in possession of 10 00 euro, Interior Ministry says. Mobile phones, computer equipment and drug paraphernalia seized.
Bulgaria’s winter weekend weather – cloudy and cold with light snow
Maximum temperatures across the country will remain mostly below zero.
Mild earth tremors in Bulgaria on February 10
The first tremor was at about 12.34am, followed by another three minutes later. Their epicentres were located between the towns of Radnevo and Topolovgrad.
Bulgaria halts electricity exports after power plant accident
There was no risk of blackouts caused by insufficient power supply, Economy Minister Traicho Traikov told Bulgarian National Radio.
© 2000-2012, Sofia Echo Media Ltd.
Web Design by RIZN
Sofia Echo Media is part of the Economedia Group.
The news and information content on this website is provided by our editorial team and is copyrighted.
Any unauthorised reproduction or use of it is strictly forbidden. Reproduction of this website's content is permitted only
with prior written permission from the Editor-in-Chief, should be propertly acredited and provide an active link back to our site.
Comments posted by the website's visitors are independent of the editorial materials and do not represent the views of sofiaecho.com.
Sofia Echo Media cannot be held responsible for the statements contained in visitor comments.
The percentаge change in the shares' prices are based on the price of the last transaction of the current session compared to the
price of the last transaction of the previous session. Bulgarian Stock Exchange data is not real-time, but updated every 15 minutes,
and should not be used as a basis for decisions about buying or selling stock options.
- Economedia Group portfolio:
- In Bulgarian:
-
Business:
Капитал,
Кариери,
Пазари,
Ho Re Mag,
Регал,
Градът.bg,
Одит,
Foton.bg,
Online shop
- News: Дневник, Европа, Foreign Policy - България
- IT: IDG.BG, Computerworld, PC World, CIO, Networkworld
- Entertainment: Бакхус
-
In English:
The Sofia Echo
I'Ve lived in BG for two years now. Nobody sits in my car without seat belts on, front and rear. That includes Bulgarians.
The amount of times people get stopped by the police and they let them drive away with bald tyres. Beats logic
should teach them not to overtake on blind bends,hills and junctions and drive slower people think they are still driving lada's so when they get into a bmw they drive foot flat on the floor i for one are glad the police are doing something other than eating dohnuts
This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained off-topic content
Wearing seat belts ? I bet they wondered what those things were hanging down from the inside of their cars.
For another novelty the police could start checking that all the lights owrk on cars/vans/lorries or better still those that need glasses for driving actually have them and wear them.
I'll drink to that as well. Some of those cars have not been moved for years!
Expat,
So, I'm not alone in my thoughts and arguments. In Plovdiv the municpality could double their budget only by fining the ones parking on the side-walk.
See me for a beer when you are in Plovdiv, Mate
this is a very admirable initiative !
I have read that BG has the most traffic patrol staff in EU. Why are those huge resources (traffic police men) are not starting to stop and fine every stupid driver !
By fining everyone who drives AND PARK againt the law local traffic police in Sofia the Sofia municipality can have respective budget to improve public transport !!
this is simply as any other European city does !!! or do you think people in CE are so nice to obey the traffic laws - [...]
Read the full comment NO they just know to get HEAVILY fined if they park on pedestrian sidewalks or cross lines or red lights or change the track or block a crossing ! literally speaking . the money lies on the street !!!