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Sat, Feb 11 2012
Most Bulgarian motorists unhappy with quality of roads – survey
Photo: Tsvetelina Angelova
About 90 per cent of motorists are dissatisfied with the quality of the roads in Bulgaria, and blame drunk driving and speeding for most accidents, according to a new poll.
The poll was done by Market Links Agency among 500 motorists in 12 cities, Bulgarian news agency Focus said.
While those polled blamed drunk driving for causing most accidents, this is contradicted by official statistics saying that the leading reason for crashes is speeding.
Drivers told the pollsters that the main reason that they felt that they could break road laws was that they would get away just with fines.
More than half believed that breaking of traffic laws in Bulgaria went unpunished.
The poll was released amid reports of new measures in Bulgaria’s traffic laws against drunk driving, including reducing the amount of alcohol that may be consumed before taking the wheel.
According to traffic police statistics, about 30 000 people are caught driving under the influence of liquor each year, and about 60 deaths a year are causing by drunk driving.
Alexei Kessyakov, secretary of the state commission on traffic safety, was quoted by Bulgarian-language mass-circulation daily 24 Chassa as saying that the problem was that the current legal blood-alcohol level was too high, given that the effects of drinking varied among people and that stress and depression should also be factored in.
Earlier, media reports said that draft changes to Bulgaria’s Road Traffic Act would make any consumption of alcohol before driving illegal, with even the smallest trace of alcohol meaning the suspension of a driving licence and a 500 leva fine.
Currently, driving with a blood-alcohol level of more than 0.05 means a fine of 200 to 500 leva and a driving licence suspension from a month up to two years.
Traffic authorities hope to see the changes approved within the next six months, reports said.
Another draft change would see those who write text messages on their mobile phones while driving penalised; currently the law specifically prohibits only speaking on a phone while at the wheel.
The poll was done by Market Links Agency among 500 motorists in 12 cities, Bulgarian news agency Focus said.
While those polled blamed drunk driving for causing most accidents, this is contradicted by official statistics saying that the leading reason for crashes is speeding.
Drivers told the pollsters that the main reason that they felt that they could break road laws was that they would get away just with fines.
More than half believed that breaking of traffic laws in Bulgaria went unpunished.
The poll was released amid reports of new measures in Bulgaria’s traffic laws against drunk driving, including reducing the amount of alcohol that may be consumed before taking the wheel.
According to traffic police statistics, about 30 000 people are caught driving under the influence of liquor each year, and about 60 deaths a year are causing by drunk driving.
Alexei Kessyakov, secretary of the state commission on traffic safety, was quoted by Bulgarian-language mass-circulation daily 24 Chassa as saying that the problem was that the current legal blood-alcohol level was too high, given that the effects of drinking varied among people and that stress and depression should also be factored in.
Earlier, media reports said that draft changes to Bulgaria’s Road Traffic Act would make any consumption of alcohol before driving illegal, with even the smallest trace of alcohol meaning the suspension of a driving licence and a 500 leva fine.
Currently, driving with a blood-alcohol level of more than 0.05 means a fine of 200 to 500 leva and a driving licence suspension from a month up to two years.
Traffic authorities hope to see the changes approved within the next six months, reports said.
Another draft change would see those who write text messages on their mobile phones while driving penalised; currently the law specifically prohibits only speaking on a phone while at the wheel.
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Yankees and lords, instead of wasting time in idle linguistic debates, why don't you stick to the subject. This might result into some more interesting comments.
Bulgarian roads would deserve to be mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records as the worst in Continental Europe. As to drivers, they are no better an no worse than in several other countries I visited. In any case they should be given decent roads, free from cow-size holes.
hold on this is about idiots that speed and drink not american spelling the queens englishman.you must be on another papers subject. peter how so right you are. theres a saying in england the weaver bird as little brains so on so forth, the road my family live on as seen more fatalities what for, to gain a couple of seconds.
This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained off-topic content
The reason is simply that their driving instructors are teaching them incorrectly (if at all). Perhaps if the Police concentrated more on moving traffic offences than documentation checks, things would be better.
This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained off-topic content
Not only do I agree with Peter, but it's a pretty scary situation when confronted with some idiot coming the other way overtaking on a blind corner and swerving all over the highway avoiding the open cast mines. Most Bulgarians think it funny when you mention pot holes, but if the roads were up to European standard most drivers might actually look where they are supposed to look, i.e. on the horizon instead of two metres in front of them trying to avoid the abyss that will make a very large dent in their wallet when they hit it!
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I'm sure most roads are unhappy with the quality of the drivers as well.
This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained off-topic content
Although drinking may be a problem the biggest is that most drivers are BAD. They cut you up to gain 1 second dont slow down at cross roads and speed up when approaching traffic lights. I have never ever seen a driver pulled over for bad driving just speeding and have never even seen a car being flagged down by the police whilst on the move. Thats hard work