The series of serious accidents with heavy trucks, in which vehicles pass through the barriers and enter the oncoming traffic, has once again put on the agenda the question of how safe Bulgarian roads are. However, the problem is not limited to the infrastructure. Where do the reasons lie… Damian Voinovski, former executive director of the Agency “Automobile Administration“ and an auto technical expert, spoke to FACTI.
– Mr. Voinovski, after the series of serious accidents with trucks that passed through the barriers and entered the oncoming traffic, where is the main problem – in the infrastructure, in the control or in the training of drivers?
– In serious accidents, there is rarely one cause, usually there is more than one factor that leads to serious consequences. In order to determine the cause, an expert examination must be carried out, examining all the circumstances, everything else is assumptions and speculation. My observations show that usually the main causes of serious accidents are violations of traffic safety rules, and the goal of driver training, high-quality and adequate traffic organization and road infrastructure should help increase traffic safety and limit the serious consequences of accidents. The main goals of effective control should be aimed at preventing violations. I personally believe that in Bulgaria we have deficits in all factors – both in the training of drivers, in the efficiency and quality of the infrastructure and traffic organization, and in the effectiveness of control. All countries that have achieved a significant reduction in serious accidents have achieved it not by working in a single area, but through a complex of measures aimed at traffic safety, which is why I cannot point to one main reason. To improve traffic safety, targeted complex measures must be developed and implemented.
– To what extent do Bulgarian crash barriers meet modern European standards for restraining heavy goods vehicles? After the tragic incidents, inspections of these facilities began?
– I am personally not an expert in road construction and cannot comment on the standards of crash barriers. Taking into account recent events, I believe that an analysis should be made by specialists in this field, but not only of the sections where serious accidents occurred, but a comprehensive analysis of the infrastructure, to study international experience and use it where possible. Analyses should not be incidental when an accident occurs, but periodic and continuous. Technologies are developing, research is constantly advancing, and we must strive to keep up with the latest trends, and not look for solutions only when tragedies occur.
– You have been warning for a long time that there are sections with already damaged and unrepaired guardrails. How big a risk do they pose to traffic on the highways?
– Of course, damaged guardrails pose a risk, and this does not only apply to guardrails, but to all components of the infrastructure. Deformed guardrails change their properties and cannot perform their intended purpose as effectively, and in some cases they can even be dangerous. Deformations can damage the strength properties of the guardrail and its ability to withstand factory-set loads. Therefore, it is very important to have a continuous exchange of information between the competent institutions, to keep infrastructure maintenance contracts active and to react as quickly as possible when incidents occur. An essential role is also played by the examination, which, as I said, should not be only in case of serious incidents, but should be carried out periodically and continuously. It should be borne in mind that there are accidents on the road, especially when they are not serious, which are not reported to the competent authorities for various reasons. The driver may not have taken out “Auto Casco“ insurance and may have crashed himself, preferring not to notify the control authorities so as not to incur additional trouble. It is possible that the drivers involved in the accident signed a bilateral protocol and did not call the control authorities, although the law does not allow such actions when there is damaged infrastructure. It is possible that the driver crashed himself and did not call the control authorities because he used prohibited substances. Therefore, society also has a large role in this process. I appeal to citizens - when they witness an accident, especially when there is damaged infrastructure, to promptly notify the control authorities.
- Does Bulgaria need to switch to a new type of dividing facilities on the busiest highways - for example, concrete barriers instead of metal guardrails in certain sections?
- As I said, I am not an expert in this field. Each type of dividing facilities has its advantages and disadvantages. It is necessary to analyze and survey the roads and to install the most adequate separation facilities for the specific section. There is no universal solution, specialists and analyses are needed to choose the most appropriate, effective and economically advantageous solutions.
- What proportion of serious accidents involving trucks are due to human error and what to deficiencies in the infrastructure?
- It is human nature to make mistakes. There is probably no driver who has not made mistakes, whether minor or dangerous, and therefore various measures are taken to prevent or limit the serious consequences of these mistakes. Therefore, a number of safety systems are introduced in cars and the corresponding systems on the roads and infrastructure. The problem comes when these additional systems are inappropriate or of poor quality. As I said, serious accidents are usually caused by more than one factor. For example, failure to comply with the speed limit, followed by loss of control due to a driving error or technical malfunction, and if we add inappropriate or damaged infrastructure, serious consequences result. It is very important to conduct quality inspections and analyses of the sections in order to take the most appropriate safety measures before a serious accident occurs. I personally believe that in Bulgaria there are deficiencies in all components of road safety - driver, road, vehicle, and we must work purposefully on all components, not just one.
- And again we come to the question of whether the control over heavy trucks is sufficient - speed, overloading, technical condition, drivers' working hours and compliance with regulations?
- Of course, control has an important role in the concept of safe road traffic. The main role of control should be prevention, but in order to achieve it, it must be effective and constant. I can talk a lot about control, especially of heavy goods traffic. We know that in Bulgaria there are many control bodies on the road and each works in its own field, but is this enough? I think not. In order for the control of heavy goods traffic to be effective, I believe that a single control body with sufficient capacity should be created. Currently, the control bodies of the Ministry of Interior mainly work on covering accidents, controlling the speed of mainly passenger cars and observing road signs. With regard to heavy goods traffic, the Ministry of Interior does not have sufficient competence and qualifications. The Toll Administration deals with road fees, and the Automobile Administration does not have the capacity for serious control and is systematically underfunded. All this creates prerequisites for ineffective control. After almost every tragedy on the road, the legislator begins discussing increasing sanctions, but this has proven to be an ineffective measure. More attention should simply be paid to increasing the capacity and qualifications of the control bodies. A single control body should be created, and not in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, because the Ministry of Internal Affairs has its own competences in accidents. Emphasis should be placed on the qualification, equipment and, of course, adequate remuneration of the control body. In this way, preventive action should be taken to increase road safety.
- After every serious accident, there is talk of inspections. Is it necessary for the law to oblige the investigating bodies to examine not only the driver and the car, but also the road, the barriers and the organization of traffic?
- I do not think that there is currently a limit to a comprehensive investigation of accidents and the law should be changed again. There is no obstacle to investigating all the circumstances surrounding an accident. Rather, I would emphasize a methodology for investigating serious accidents and training investigators. Some time ago, the State Agency for Road Safety proposed the creation of a specialized body for the investigation of serious road accidents, similar to the bodies for the investigation of railway accidents and aviation accidents. I believe that this is a good measure with a view to unifying the practice of investigating such accidents in the country and creating the necessary capacity of experts.
- What are the three most urgent measures that can actually reduce the risk of such tragedies on highways this year?
- I believe that there is no universal measure, but we must work systematically and purposefully on a single strategy. All institutions involved in road safety must work systematically and purposefully, and not campaign after an accident. There must be clear responsibilities and direct responsibility for failure to implement the strategy. At the moment, we are rather observing only excuses and shifting of responsibility.
- After all the tragic incidents, can we say that Bulgaria lacks a comprehensive traffic safety policy, in which the state bears the same responsibility as is required of drivers and carriers?
- Yes, I personally believe that there is no unified comprehensive traffic safety policy, or if there is, it is rather only on paper and serves to cover up the situation. The institutions responsible for road safety work rather campaigning in this direction, often after serious accidents occur. The government must clearly commit to road safety and unequivocally show that this is a priority. Funds should be provided in this direction and responsibility should be sought for failure to implement the policy or for failure of the proposed measures. There are a lot of funds in the Road Safety Fund, but they are not spent effectively and many of the institutions working in this area do not have access to these funds. For several years now, attempts have been made to change the order of access to these funds, but to no avail. If safety is a priority for the government, this is also a way to show that it wants to change the order of access to the funds from the fund and to exercise control over the effective use of these funds.