COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Bulgaria Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Report on the Implementation of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework at the Mid-Point
Date: 2026-02-13
Institutions: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
Subjects: Bulgaria, EU investment, accident prevention, common transport policy, innovation, road safety, road transport, transport accident, transport infrastructure, transport statistics

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 13.2.2026  SWD(2026) 35 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Bulgaria Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Report on the Implementation of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework at the Mid-Point {COM(2026) 77 final} - {SWD(2026) 33 final} - {SWD(2026) 34 final} - {SWD(2026) 36 final} - {SWD(2026) 37 final} - {SWD(2026) 38 final} - {SWD(2026) 39 final} - {SWD(2026) 40 final} - {SWD(2026) 41 final} - {SWD(2026) 42 final} - {SWD(2026) 43 final} - {SWD(2026) 44 final} - {SWD(2026) 45 final} - {SWD(2026) 46 final} - {SWD(2026) 47 final} - {SWD(2026) 48 final} - {SWD(2026) 49 final} - {SWD(2026) 50 final} - {SWD(2026) 51 final} - {SWD(2026) 52 final} - {SWD(2026) 53 final} - {SWD(2026) 54 final} - {SWD(2026) 55 final} - {SWD(2026) 56 final} - {SWD(2026) 57 final} - {SWD(2026) 58 final} - {SWD(2026) 59 final}  
 
 
Contents 

1. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

2.3. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

4. 

4.1. 

4.2. 

5. 

Summary ............................................................................................................ 2 

Road Safety Strategy and Measures .................................................................. 3 

Road Safety Strategy...................................................................................... 3 

Road Safety Governance................................................................................ 3 

Road Safety Measures.................................................................................... 3 

Road Safety Progress ......................................................................................... 4 

Road Safety Outcomes ................................................................................... 4 

Road Safety Performance Indicators ............................................................. 7 

Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation ............................................ 8 

Implementation Progress ............................................................................... 8 

Gaps ............................................................................................................. 12 

Conclusions and Recommendations ................................................................ 13 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bulgaria 

1. Summary 

In 2024, Bulgaria had the second highest fatality rate in the EU, with 74 fatalities per million 
inhabitants, while the EU average was 45. However, compared to 2019, a decrease of 24% in 
road fatalities was achieved. In 2023, the number of people seriously injured in road crashes 
was 7% lower than the respective figure in 2019. 

Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Bulgaria shows a relatively high 
proportion  of  car  occupants  and  fatalities  occurring  on  rural  roads.  However,  road  crash 
fatalities and serious injuries declined for all groups examined, with the highest decreases being 
recorded  for  killed  cyclists,  pedestrians  and  fatalities  inside  urban  areas  between  2019  and 
2023. 

In accordance with the EU policy, in the Road Safety Strategy 2030 of Bulgaria, the target of 
halving the number of road fatalities by 2030 compared to 2019 has been set. Also, there is 
a goal of a 50% reduction of serious injuries by 2030. There is also a strong commitment to 
work towards the Vision Zero (to move close to  zero road deaths by 2050). The first Action 
Plan  2021-2023  includes  176  road  safety  measures  differentiated  by  strategic  goals  in  6 
thematic pillars. 

Based on the latest  available data (2024), Bulgaria is  on track to meet the 2030 target  of 
halving the number of fatalities, with a 24% decrease since 2019. However, Bulgaria needs 
to do more if it is to meet the 2030 target of halving the number of serious injuries. 

Regarding the implementation of the road safety actions foreseen in the national strategy for 
the period 2021-2024, progress has been made in several road safety areas, while delays are 
reported in most areas examined. Bulgaria starts from a medium level in most examined road 
safety areas. Based on the self-reported assessment, the baseline is assessed as medium for 12 
out of the 26 road safety areas. In 2024, the majority of the planned measures of the pillars of 
safe roads, safe vehicles and post-crash care are considered delayed.  

The  main  gap  reported  in  the  implementation  of  Bulgaria’s  Road  Safety  Strategic  Plan  is 
funding constraints. This was reported as the main reason for delaying or deferring various 
actions, such as carrying out more and frequent campaigns, developing city mobility and safety 
plans, implementing targeted investments in the municipal road safety programmes towards 
VRUs and rural roads, and carrying out road safety audits and inspections. Also, the frequent 
government changes led to delays in the legislation amendments, while gaps are also reported 
related to technical resources and data collection.  

Although Bulgaria is currently on track to meet the road safety targets for 2030, it still has the 
second highest fatality rate. Possible ways to address this could be: 

•  exploring  new  financial  resources  for  the  implementation  of  delayed  road  safety 
measures,  with  a  focus  on  road  infrastructure  interventions  both  inside  and  outside 
urban areas, 
resolving any legislative obstacles preventing or delaying the implementation of road 
safety strategy and speeding up the setting of planned road safety measures, 

• 

•  exploring any other relevant activities, with emphasis on those relating to the prevention 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
of serious injuries. 

2.  Road Safety Strategy and Measures 

2.1. Road Safety Strategy 

The National Road Safety Strategy of Bulgaria for the decade 2021-2030 was developed by 
the State Agency Road Safety (SARS).  

The context of this strategy is in accordance with the EU policy of a 50% reduction of the 
annual  numbers  of  deaths  and  serious  injuries  by  2030  based  on  the  safe  system  approach. 
There is also a strong commitment to work towards the Vision Zero (to move close to zero 
road deaths by 2050).  

Under the National Strategy for Road Safety 2021-2030 of Bulgaria, summary action plans 
with a horizon of 3 years are drawn up. 

Table 4.1: National road safety strategy 

Timeframe 
Lead Authority 

Link 

Bulgaria 
2021-2030 
Ministry of Interior of Republic of Bulgaria 
https://www.transport-community.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/The-
National-Strategy-for-Road-Safety_Republic-of-Bulgaria.pdf 
https://www.sars.gov.bg/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1.3-Strategy-EN.docx 

2.2. Road Safety Governance 

 The Council of Ministers through the State Agency Road Safety as a coordination unit and the 
State  Public  Consultative  Committee  of  Road  Safety  Problems  consisting  of  ministries  and 
organisations  as  a  consultative  body  at  the  Council  of  Ministers  are  responsible  for  the 
formulation of the national road safety strategy. The sectoral ministries at central level – the 
Ministry  of  Transportation  and  Communications,  the  Ministry  of  Interior,  the  Ministry  of 
Regional  Development  and  Public  Works,  the  Ministry  of  Education  and  Science  and  the 
Ministry of Health, and the regional governors through the Regional road safety commissions 
at  regional  level  and  the  mayors  of  municipalities  at  local  level  are  responsible  for  the 
implementation of the strategy.  

Also,  the  State  Agency  Road  Safety  is  responsible  for  the  monitoring  of  road  safety 
developments  in  the  country  within  the  Strategy  as  well  as  for  progress  monitoring  and 
evaluation. 

2.3. Road Safety Measures 

A total of 60 road safety actions divided in six fields are included in the road safety strategy 
of Bulgaria1.  

1 https://www.sars.gov.bg/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1.3-Strategy-EN.docx 

3 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 4.2: Road safety fields of actions and number of actions 

Field of Actions 

1.  Management 

2.  Road users’ behaviour 

3.  Enforcement 

4. 

Infrastructure 

5.  Safe Vehicles 

6.  Life-saving rescue chain 

Total 

Actions 

11 

13 

6 

15 

7 

8 

60 

The  first  Action  Plan  (2021-2023)  includes  176  road  safety  measures  differentiated  by 
strategic goals in 6 thematic pillars:  

1.  Integrity-based management 
2.  Socially-responsible behaviour of road users: life-long learning  
3.  Effective and preventive enforcement  
4.  Trauma mitigating road infrastructure  
5.  Vehicles in protection of humans  
6.  Life-saving rescue chain  

3.  Road Safety Progress 

3.1. Road Safety Outcomes 

Based on data for 2024, Bulgaria was the country with the second highest number of fatalities 
per  million  inhabitants  in  the  EU.  In  fact,  74  road  fatalities  per  million  inhabitants  were 
recorded in 2024, which is well above the EU average (45).  

Figure 4.1 Mortality rates by country, 2024  

Sources: CARE database on road crashes; population data from Eurostat (online data code demo_pjan). 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Compared to 2019, which is the baseline year for the target 2030 set in the road safety strategy, 
a decrease in road fatalities has been recorded. In particular, in 2024, the number of fatalities 
decreased by 24% compared to 2019. Thus, Bulgaria is on track to meet the 2030 target of 
halving the number of road fatalities  

The number of serious injuries declined by 7% in 2023 compared to 2019.  

Figure 4.2 Road fatalities and target 2030  
(Source CARE database) 2 

Figure 4.3 Serious road injuries  
(Source: CARE database)2 

2 It is noted that the global COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the CARE data for 2020 and 2021 for many 
European countries. Traffic volumes dropped sharply during the pandemic due to traffic restrictions, which was 
associated with a significant drop in road traffic crashes and fatalities. 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Bulgaria shows a relatively high 
proportion of car occupants and fatalities occurring on rural roads 3. In fact, 60% of fatalities 
were car occupants in 2023 and 68% of road crash fatalities occurred outside urban areas, on 
non-motorway roads. 

An overview of the evolution of road crash fatalities and serious injuries for the years 2019 and 
2023 (year with the latest available detailed crash data) is provided below for specific types of 
roads,  crashes  and  road  users.  Overall,  in  Bulgaria,  road  fatalities  and  serious  injuries 
declined  for  all  groups  examined.    The  highest decreases  were  recorded  for  killed  cyclists, 
pedestrians and fatalities inside urban areas, which were considerably higher than the decreases 
in the total number of fatalities. Regarding serious injuries, the highest decrease is observed in 
crashes on motorways.  

Table 4.3: Evolution of road fatalities, 2019-2023 

Road Crash Fatalities 

2019 

2023 

%  
in 2023 

% change 
2019-2023 

Total road fatalities 

Inside urban areas 

Outside urban areas 

Motorways 

Single vehicle crashes 

Multi vehicle crashes 

Passenger cars 

PTWs 

Cycles 

Pedestrians 

628 

232 

351 

45 

196 

287 

348 

7 

27 

154 

526 

144 

356 

25 

161 

275 

313 

53 

14 

97 

- 

27% 

68% 

5% 

31% 

52% 

60% 

10% 

3% 

18% 

-16% 

-38% 

+1% 

-44% 

-18% 

-4% 

-10% 

++4 

-48% 

-37% 

Table 4.4: Evolution of serious injuries, 2019-2023 

Serious Injuries 

Total serious injuries 

Inside urban areas 

Outside urban areas 

Motorways 

Single vehicle crashes 

Multi vehicle crashes 

Passenger cars 

PTWs 

2019 

1,937 

1,092 

734 

111 

550 

904 

964 

37 

2023 

1,794 

1,012 

717 

65 

519 

851 

822 

239 

%  
in 2023 

% change 
2019-2023 

40% 

4% 

29% 

47% 

46% 

13% 

5% 

-7% 

-7% 

-2% 

-41% 

-6% 

-62% 

-15% 

++5 

3  European  Commission  (2023),  Country  Profile  Bulgaria.  Road  Safety  Observatory.  Brussels,  European 
Commission, Directorate General for Transport. 
4 A break in the time series of killed PTW riders appears between 2016 and 2019 
5 A break in time series of seriously injured PTWs appears between 2016 and 2019.  

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cycles 

Pedestrians 

87 

497 

85 

444 

25% 

56% 

-2% 

-11% 

3.2. Road Safety Performance Indicators 

Bulgaria performs worse than the EU average in relation to seat belt and helmet use.  

Table 4.5: Road Safety Performance Indicators, 2022 - 2025 
(Source: ERSO, Country Profiles) 

Speeding6 
% of passenger cars travelling within speed limits a 

Motorways 
Rural Roads 
Urban Roads 

Seat belt & CRS use rates (%) a*,b 

Front 
Rear 
Child restraint systems (roadside observations) 
Child restraint systems (in-vehicle inspections) 

Helmet use rates (%) a 

PTW driver 
PTW passenger 
Cyclist 

DUI of Alcoholc 
(self-reported) 

Bulgaria 

EU 

2022 

2025 

2022 

2025 

89.4 
93.4 
44.7 

76.4 
31.2 
50.0 
60.8 

97.0 
90.6 
20.1 

92.0 
96.0 
56.0 

87.8 
41.7 
51.5 
/ 

94.5 
85.3 
23.1 

- 
- 
- 

93.1 
75.3 
67.0 
- 

97.0 
94.4 
37.8 

- 
- 
- 

92.4 
69.9 
83.3 
- 

97.6 
97.0 
34.5 

% of car drivers who have driven at least once in the 
last 30 days over the legal limit 

- 

- 

11.8 

11.8 

Driver Distraction a 

% of drivers not using hand-held mobile 
device/phone while driving 

Vehicle Safety 

91.9 

96.3 

94.8 

94.5 

% of new passenger cars rated with 4 EuroNCAP 
stars and above a 
Average age of passenger car fleet (years)d 

73.1 

72.0 

- 

- 

83.6 

12.3 

82.7 

12.5 

Sources: a Baseline and Trendline projects, b ETSC (2022), c ESRA3 project (2024), d ACEA (2024, 2025), Notes: 
*2025 data only for weekdays 

6 An EU average is not available for speeding, due to different legal speed limits among countries, which does not 
allow for a straightforward comparison.  

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4. Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation 

4.1. Implementation Progress 

Road Safety Management 

Bulgaria starts from a low level in two road safety areas related to Road Safety Management 
and from a medium level in the area of road safety legislation. In 2024, the implementation of 
the measures related to road safety budget and legislation has been delayed, while the measures 
related to the national road safety authority were on track. It is noted that no measures have 
been planned for the area of the national road safety observatory.  

Table 4.6: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to road 
safety management 

B1 

Road Safety Management 

1 

2 

3 

4 

National road safety authority 

National road safety budget 

Road safety legislation 

National road safety observatory 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021)7 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

low 

low 

medium 

- 

on track 

delayed 

delayed 

- 

More specifically, the State Agency Road Safety (SARS) has been operational for 5 years now 
and in 2020 a new road safety strategy 2021-2030 was prepared and adopted. Coordination 
and interaction between institutions have improved since the establishment of SARS, as the 
agency streamlines the process of planning, implementation, evaluation and reporting, based 
on constant analysis and methodological guidelines for the relevant administrations with road 
safety competencies. 
The  first  three-year  road  safety  action  plan  (2021-2023)  was  underfinanced  due  to  lack  of 
funds allocated for road safety. The second three-year Road safety action plan 2024-2026 is 
also tied to fixed budget funding, without major improvements in allocation of targeted road 
safety funds. This issue is highlighted by SARS accordingly in its annual road safety report.   

Some  important  legislative  amendments  (incl.  Road  Traffic  Act,  legislation  on  road 
infrastructure safety management procedures) have been introduced in the past few years that 
lay the groundwork for improving the overall road safety legislation. Other major amendments 
are ongoing and underway.   

Safe Road User Behaviour 

In relation to the pillar of Safe Road User Behaviour, Bulgaria starts from a medium level in 
2021 in all road safety areas, except training of novice drivers and measures for VRUs.  

7 In line with the beginning of the national strategy 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 4.7: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to road 
user behaviour 

B2 

Safe Road User Behaviour 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

Enforcement 

Education 

New drivers training 

Communication campaigns 

Measures for vulnerable road users 

Measures for professional drivers 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

medium 

medium 

low 

medium 

low 

medium 

on track 

on track 

delayed 

on track 

on track 

on track 

In 2024, all relevant measures to this pillar were on track, except those concerning novice 
driver training, which have been delayed. 

Crash  data  is  currently  being  analysed,  and  the  police  enforcement  is  taking  into  account 
locations with high crash frequencies and risks. There is also a special focus on prevention. 
Thematic  operations  and  wide-ranging  inspections  were  carried  out  jointly  with  other 
institutions. 

At the level of kindergartens, schools and support centres for personal development, annual 
programmes for road safety are developed, and the training is conducted according to the 
curricula and documentation approved by the Ministry of Education. The necessary educational 
and material base is currently updated, including teaching aids, educational books, specialised 
classrooms and playgrounds, interactive systems, technical tools, boards etc. Many initiatives 
in and out of class are focused on road safety.  

The Ministry of Education and Science, SARS and the Executive Agency for Road Transport 
Administration  developed  an  updated  secondary  legal  framework  and  updated  the  training 
material  regarding  the  training  of  novice  drivers.  All  drafts  are  being  consulted  with  the 
relevant stakeholders and further public consultations are underway. However, the lack of a 
consolidated opinion on key issues from the branch organisations has led to delays compared 
to the time plan. 

A single communication strategy for road safety is currently being implemented, and annual 
communication  plans  are  prepared,  consistent  with  the  national  priorities  for  road  safety, 
prevention  needs  and  coordination  with  other  institutions.  Particular  emphasis  is  placed  on 
children. SARS is active with campaigns and dissemination of information.   

Preventive campaigns are regularly organised, with an emphasis on  vulnerable road users. 
On  a  regular  basis  (every  3  months),  an  SARS  information  bulletin  is  prepared  and 
disseminated with practical information on VRU protection. Regular trainings on sustainable 
mobility that centres around people are organised by SARS for the municipalities.    

Safe Speeds 

Regarding the Safe Speeds pillar, Bulgaria starts from a medium level in the two related road 
safety areas. In 2024, all relevant measures under this pillar were on track. It is noted that no 
measures have been planned for the areas of update of speed limits and speed enforcement.  

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 4.8: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe 
speeds 

B3 

Safe Speeds 

1 

2 

3 

4 

Update of speed limits 

Enforcing speed limits 

Campaigns on speeding 

Monitoring speeding 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

- 

- 

medium 

medium 

- 

- 

on track 

on track 

Preventive campaigns are regularly organised, with a focus on speeding. Also, crash data is 
analysed  on  a  regular  basis,  and  the  enforcement  activity  is  being  focused  on  the  relevant 
road/street sections. 

Safe Roads 

Regarding the Safe Roads pillar, based on the self-reported assessment, Bulgaria starts from a 
medium  level  in  four  road  safety  areas:  rural  roads  safety  interventions,  motorways  safety 
management, road design standards and road safety audit and inspection. The starting level in 
2021 for the remaining road safety areas is assessed as low.  

However,  only  the  measures  related  to  road  safety  audits  and  inspections  are  on  track. 
Nevertheless due to financial restraints these measures are rather underestimated in most of the 
municipalities.  The  implementation of all remaining measures  has been delayed mainly 
due  to  funding  constraints.  Key  measures  are  also  delayed  due  to  lack  of  appropriate 
organisational arrangements sand functional limitations within the Road Infrastructure Agency 
which hinders the successful integration of the safe system approach. 

Table 4.9: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe 
roads 

B4 

Safe Roads 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

City mobility & safety plans 

Urban infrastructure for VRUs 

Rural roads safety interventions 

Motorways safety management 

Road design standards 

Road safety audit and inspection 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 
low 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 
delayed 

low 

medium 

medium 

medium 

medium 

delayed 

delayed 

delayed 

delayed 

on track 

The implementation of EC guidelines for the development of plans for sustainable urban 
mobility as part of the plans for integrated development of municipalities is lagging behind. In 
a  significant  part  of  the  municipalities  neither  sustainable  urban  mobility  plans  nor  traffic 
organisation  plans  have  been  developed  or  are  not  up  to  date  due  to  lack  of  funds  and 
institutional capacity. 

It is important to note that local authorities make serious efforts to survey the elements of the 
road infrastructure, to  document the results and to  plan measures for vulnerable road users. 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Municipal road safety programmes are developed and approved by SARS on an annual basis. 
SARS also insists on planning such measures, as considerable efforts are directed towards the 
elaboration of GIS-based software instruments for data collection and risk-analysis to be made 
available  at  municipal  level.  However,  the  implementation  of  targeted  investments  in  the 
municipal road safety programmes towards vulnerable road users is very limited due to lack 
of sufficient funds in municipal budgets and human resources in the municipalities.  

Regarding  the  state  of  municipal  road  infrastructure,  data  was  collected  from  265 
municipalities, which allowed the review to claim a relatively complete territorial coverage, 
looking  at  key  elements  of  road  safety  determinants.  In  the  annual  municipal  road  safety 
programmes, SARS insists on prioritising measures on rural roads based on a needs- and risk 
analysis.  

Despite  the  investments  made  over  the  past  years  in  road  infrastructure,  no  sustainable 
improvement  is  noticed  on  the  national  roads,  and  there  is  even  an  accumulation  and 
deepening of the problems as a result of systemic weaknesses in construction and maintenance 
activities. Based on the self-reported assessment, road signs, markings and restraint systems 
are in poor condition in this portion of the road network.  

The EU Directive 2019/1936 was fully transposed in the national legislation. At national level, 
audits and inspections are carried out by the Road Infrastructure Agency. Local authorities 
are given the opportunity to apply for financial support (by SARS) to carry out audits and road 
safety inspections. However, road safety audits and road safety elements in general are still not 
a common part of the investment procedures and designs, especially at municipal level, mainly 
due to lack of funds and staff.   

Safe Vehicles 

In relation to the pillar of Safe Vehicles, Bulgaria starts from a low level in two areas, fleet 
renewal and promotion of ADAS, and from a medium level in the area of technical vehicle 
inspection. In 2024, the implementation of all measures of this pillar had been delayed. It is 
noted that no measures have been planned as regards preparing road traffic policies for vehicle 
automation. 

Table 4.10: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe 
vehicles 

B5 

Safe Vehicles 

1 

2 

3 

4 

Fleet renewal 

Promotion of ADAS 

Technical vehicle inspection 

Automation preparation 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

low 

low 

medium 

- 

delayed 

delayed 

delayed 

- 

The implementation of measures related to the area of fleet renewal has been delayed mainly 
due  to  insufficient  funds.  Bulgaria  is  among  the EU  countries  with  the  oldest  vehicle  fleet, 
however, there is no state subsidy in the country to provide incentives for citizens (e.g. local 
government tax policies) to renew the vehicle fleet.  
On  the  other  hand,  legislative  amendments  were  developed  and  adopted  on  periodic 
inspections  of  the  technical  condition  of  vehicles,  which  introduced  the  requirements  of 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Delegated Directive (EU) 2021/1717. Significant improvements on inspections are expected.  

Post Crash Care 

Regarding the Post-Crash Care pillar, Bulgaria starts from a low level in 2021 in both key 
road safety areas. In 2024, the implementation of all measures relevant to this pillar had been 
delayed. 

Road safety is not integrated as a major health issue in the national healthcare strategies. Data 
on serious injuries is underreported and such an indicator within the monitoring and reporting 
of UN sustainable development goal 3.6 was not supported by the Ministry of Health as a lead 
organisation  despite  several  requests  made  by  the  State  Agency  Road  Safety  as  a  partner 
organisation.   

Joint regional trainings are organised regularly, aimed at increasing the capacity of the relevant 
teams of the safety chain. However, the measures aimed at achieving objective reporting of 
traffic  crash  statistics  based  on  uniform  criteria  for  the  assessment  of  injuries  are  not 
implemented, although they are systematically included in the planning documents. 

Table 4.11: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to post 
crash care 

B6 

Post Crash Care 

1 

2 

Reduce EMS reaction time 

Support people injured 

4.2. Gaps 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

low 

low 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

delayed 

delayed 

The  main  gap  reported  by  the  authorities  in  the  implementation  of  Bulgaria’s  Road  Safety 
Strategic Plan is funding constraints. This was reported as the main reason for delaying or 
deferring various actions across all pillars, including: 

-  Carrying out more and frequent campaigns 
-  Development of city mobility and safety plans 
- 
- 

Implementation of the safe system approach on national roads 
Implementation  of  targeted  investments  in  the  municipal  road  safety  programmes 
towards VRUs 
Interventions on rural roads 

- 
-  Road safety audits and inspections, mainly at municipal level 
-  Providing incentives to citizens towards fleet renewal 

Furthermore, the adoption of drafted and proposed legislative amendments is often delayed, 
mainly  due  to  the  frequent  government  changes  and  interruptions  in  the  activities  of  the 
National  Assembly.  Political  instability  has  also  hindered  the  smooth  and  fast  adoption  of 
legislative amendments related to novice driver training. 

Additionally, gaps in technical resources are a concern, with the number of available speed 
control cameras being limited.  

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Deficiencies are also observed in the registration of crash data by police. As a result, the lack 
of exact locations prevents the precise identification of sections with an increased number of 
road crashes. There are also some deficiencies in the identification of the exact causes and all 
influencing factors for crash occurrences.  

Moreover, there is a lack of coherence in the checks of the characteristics and deficiencies 
of the national roads with a view to carrying out safety activities. The results of the inspections 
are not  documented in  a unified  and  computerised GIS-based database, which would  allow 
quick access to reports for analytical and investment purposes.  

Finally, it is impossible to trace the entire trauma history of victims and their treatment, 
nor  the  final  diagnosis  of  the  severity  of  the  injury,  which  does  not  allow  for  the  correct 
assessment of the severity of injuries of the victims according to the Maximum Abbreviated 
Injury Scale (MAIS).This also does not allow subsequent analysis of the necessary measures 
and activities for the prevention of the most serious injuries (MAIS3+) to human life and health. 

5.  Conclusions and Recommendations 

In the Road Safety  Strategy 2030 of Bulgaria, the targets  of  halving the numbers of road 
fatalities and serious injuries by 2030 have been set. There is also a strong commitment to 
work towards the Vision Zero (to move close to zero road deaths by 2050). The first Action 
Plan  2021-2023  includes  176  road  safety  measures  differentiated  by  strategic  goals  in  6 
thematic pillars. 

In 2024, Bulgaria was the second worst performing country in the European Union in terms 
of fatality rates per population. Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in 
Bulgaria shows a relatively high proportion of car occupants and fatalities occurring on rural 
roads. 

However,  based  on  data  between  2019  and  2024,  a  significant  reduction  of  24%  in  road 
fatalities was recorded. Therefore, Bulgaria is currently on track to meet the 50% reduction 
target in road fatalities. Τhe highest decrease was recorded for killed cyclists, pedestrians and 
fatalities inside urban areas between 2019 and 2023. Meanwhile, serious injuries decreased by 
7% during the period 2019-2023.   

Regarding the implementation of the road safety actions foreseen in the national strategy for 
the period 2021-2024, based on the self-reported assessment, progress has been made in several 
road safety areas, while delays are reported in most areas examined. The majority of the 
planned measures of the pillars of safe roads, safe vehicles and post-crash care are considered 
delayed.  

Funding  limitations  are  the  primary  self-reported  gap  in  the  implementation  of  Bulgaria’s 
Road Safety Strategic Plan. Additionally, delays in legislation amendments are caused by the 
frequent government changes, while gaps are also reported related to technical resources and 
data collection.  

Finally, even if Bulgaria is currently on track to meet the road safety target for 2030, it still 
needs to do more to improve its road safety performance. Possible ways to address this include: 
•  exploring  new  financial  resources  for  the  implementation  of  delayed  road  safety 
measures, with a focus on road infrastructure works both inside and outside urban areas, 

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resolving  any  legislative  obstacles  preventing  or  delaying  the  implementation  of  the 
road  safety  strategy  and  speeding  up  the  implementation  of  planned  road  safety 
measures, 

•  exploring any other relevant activities, with emphasis on those relating to the prevention 

of serious injuries. 

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