Stricter Road Laws Aim to Save Lives, Not Fill the Budget, Says Traffic Police Official

The recently approved amendments to the Road Traffic Act and Penal Code, which introduce harsher penalties, are not intended to boost state revenues, but to improve road safety. This was stated by Chief Inspector Lachezar Bliznakov from the Traffic Police Department during an interview on "The Day Begins” programme on August 6.

According to Chief Inspector Bliznakov, the main objective of the changes is prevention — reducing the number of people injured or killed in road accidents.

Chief Inspector Lachezar Bliznakov, Traffic Police – National Police: "If everyone realises how serious and responsible driving is, and how severe the penalties are, the impact will be immediate. But if we wait until something happens to a loved one — or they end up in prison — then the change will take longer. And yes, many people are already serving prison sentences for transport-related offences — whether for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or for causing accidents with injuries or fatalities. The proportion of imprisoned offenders is significant."

"The collection rate of fines is important to ensure that drivers who break the rules serve their penalties, but that’s not the main point. We are heavily focused on prevention and proactively apply various control methods. In high-risk road sections, we are visible, we implement preventive measures, and we conduct surprise inspections. It’s simply not true that we hide in order to issue fines. Everyone can see that during high-traffic days — Fridays and Sundays — police officers are present on the motorways, with their lights on, clearly visible to all drivers."