Black January on the road - this is shown by the Ministry of Interior's data on accidents. Since the beginning of the year there have been 380, the dead are 36, and the injured - 460.
„There is a fairly serious increase in road casualties in January. The good plans that we have suddenly change. All of us, not just the institutions, have a responsibility“, said in „This Morning“ Rosen Rapchev, former head of the „Traffic Police“ department in the General Directorate of Traffic Safety and a road safety expert.
He gave an example that when driving at 50 km/h, if we are not secured in the car and an accident occurs, it is like jumping from the fourth floor.
According to him, last January was relatively calmer than previous years in terms of statistics.
Rapchev also pointed out that a very large number of accidents occur on the roads in Northern Bulgaria, where there is very intense traffic and there are no highways and expressways.
„This intense traffic leads to an increase in risk. When this is mixed with atmospheric conditions - fog, black ice, rain - "We, as road users, are not always ready to change our behavior on the road," Rapchev commented.
According to him, even with the best winter tires, there is no escape when there is black ice on the road and one loses control of the car 100%.
The solution is to drive slower, keep a distance and not overtake, he said.
„The distance from Sofia to Burgas, no matter how fast you are, you will not arrive more than 15 minutes earlier. Is this the price of our lives?, the former head of the „Traffic Police“ asked rhetorically.
In the last two weeks, there have been more frequent accidents with trucks.
„The trucks follow some schedules. Maybe we should talk to the managers of these companies. They should also control how their employees move,“ is the opinion of Rosen Rapchev.
He also addressed pedestrians, saying that in most cases drivers do not see them.
“You are small and inconspicuous. Please, do not cross the road irresponsibly. Stop for a second, look around, see if they have noticed you and then cross“, Rapchev also advised.