From August 1st a blood testing laboratory starts operation, the Ministry of Interior increases road control

From "August 1st" a specialized laboratory for the analysis of blood samples from drivers whose field drug test has returned a "positive result" will begin operating. The new structure aims to accelerate the process of confirming or refuting the use of prohibited substances and to bring more clarity to the work of law enforcement agencies.

The Ministry of Interior has launched a large-scale campaign on roads across the entire country. The main focus is on "reducing road trauma" and "increasing the safety" of all road users – drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. The campaign will continue "until Sunday" and during this period, the police presence on key road sections will be significantly increased.

During the inspections, police teams will monitor "the use of alcohol and narcotic substances", "the use of seat belts", as well as the possession of valid "third-party liability insurance" and a completed "annual technical inspection" of the motor vehicles. If violations are found, the corresponding sanctions under the law will be imposed.

At a briefing in "Plovdiv", the director of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior, Senior Commissioner "Vasil Kostadinov", announced that from "August 1st" a laboratory for the analysis of blood samples of drivers whose field drug test showed a positive result will start work. According to him, the results of these laboratory tests are expected to be ready within "two to three days", which will significantly shorten the time for processing cases.

He added that the police are also using "new methods of control" for road traffic. Among them is the "monitoring of key sections" of the road network with "drones", through which violations are detected from the air, and subsequently, sanctions are imposed on the respective drivers. The so-called "linear control" with civilian police cars continues, which signal violators with an electronic sign "Police – stop, follow me". In this way, "about 50 drivers" have already been sanctioned.

The Ministry of Interior further reports that an "analysis of field tests" for narcotic substances currently in use is being carried out and that work is underway to implement "more reliable testing tools". However, within the framework of the current campaign, the control authorities continue to use the available field tests until the introduction of new solutions.

As part of the campaign, law enforcement officers are also checking the "noise level" emitted by vehicles. Special attention is paid to "motorcycles", where modified exhaust systems often lead to serious discomfort for citizens due to increased noise.

The head of the "Traffic Police" sector in Plovdiv, "Radoslav Nachev", pointed out that "since the beginning of the week" an "international police operation" has begun across Europe, aimed at identifying drivers who have used alcohol or drugs. He clarified that not all drivers will be tested for drugs, but only those in whom police officers notice "signs such as red eyes, sweating, or dry mouth".

"With the onset of the summer season, traffic control is being intensified. In just two days, 11 motorcycles were stopped in Plovdiv due to removed noise-reduction devices," stated Nachev. The traffic police add that the "work schedule" of the officers has been changed so that road control continues into the "later hours of the day".

A telling detail is that while the Ministry of Interior was conducting the briefing in Plovdiv, at the "opposite intersection" a traffic accident occurred involving "three vehicles". The incident once again highlighted the need for constant and effective traffic control.