site.bta10 Children Died, 1,131 Were Injured in Road Accidents in Bulgaria Since Jan. 2024

Between the beginning of 2024 and November 15, a total of 10 children died in road accidents and 1,131 were injured, Commissioner Maria Boteva, deputy head of the Traffic Police, said on Tuesday. For the same period in 2023, 29 children died and 1,175 were injured.

Statistics shows an increase in death toll among children riding scooters, bicycles, motorcycles and others. By November 15, their number was five, up from two in the like period of 2023. The injured children were 227 against 159 in 2023.

The number of child pedestrians killed in road accidents dropped to zero in 2024 from four in 2023. Child pedestrians injured in traffic in 2024 were 265, or 50 fewer than in 2023.

During the reporting period, 5 child passengers died in traffic accidents, down from 23 in 2023. Those injured as passengers were 639, down from 701 in 2023.

The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims was marked on Sunday, November 17. According to the Interior Ministry, in 2023 alone, 6,993 serious crashes in Bulgaria killed 525 and injured 9,101 people. In the ten months of 2024, 6,032 serious road accidents resulted in 376 deaths and 7,594 injuries.

"Only with the joint efforts of state and local authorities, non-governmental organizations and our personal attitude and behavior can we find the way and the right solution to limit the factors leading to fatal traffic accidents and the loss of children, parents and other loved ones," caretaker Minister of Interior Atanas Ilkov said on occasion of the commemoration day.