site.btaInterior Ministry Reports Drop in Serious Traffic Accidents in First 10 Months of 2017

Sofia, December 6 (BTA) - There were a total of 6,422 serious traffic accidents in the first ten months of 2017, which is 518 less than the same period of the previous year, the Interior Ministry quoted on Wednesday the head of Traffic Police, Commissioner Boyko Ranovski, as saying during a seminar.

There were a total of 622 casualties as of the end of this October, which is 42 less than the first ten months of 2016, while the number of injured has decreased by 667 to 8,082, compared to the same period of last year, show the data presented by Ranovski.

The Traffic Police has issued a total of 306,911 ticket fines, 322,324 electronic ticket fines and 192,258 statements of traffic violations in the first ten months of 2017. This compares to 50,259 ticket fines, 35,397 electronic ticket fines and 22,745 statements of traffic violations issued in the corresponding period of last year.

According to Ranovski, the measures taken by the Traffic Police have had a positive result. A concerning trend he outlined is the growing number of drivers caught driving under the influence of drugs, which add up to 2,559 in the first ten months of 2017. The most such cases were reported in Bourgas - 379, Stara Zagora - 249 and Sofia - 238. This could be attributed to the stricter control measures undertaken by traffic police officers, he explained