Scandalous Road Safety Bill: Experts Warn of Legal Traps

28.07.2025 | Domestic policy

The Road Safety Institute calls on President Rumen Radev to veto controversial legislative changes that create risks for drivers and municipalities.

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The Institute for Road Safety launched a sharp criticism of the adopted amendments to the Road Traffic Act, urging President Rumen Radev to review the texts. Experts define the new provisions as a "dangerous legislative experiment" that threatens the interests of Bulgarian citizens.

The key issues identified by the institution are related to the introduction of the vague concept of "average speed". According to the experts' analysis, this provision creates enormous legal uncertainty and a potential source of unjustified sanctions for drivers.

Serious questions are raised about the mechanism for determining controlled road sections. Experts emphasize the lack of clear criteria for:
- Identification of control zones
- Marking of sections
- Calculating the permissible average speed with variable speed limits

The current maximum speeds are maintained - 140 km/h on highways and 120 km/h on expressways. The new element is the inclusion of municipal and toll cameras for speed mode control.

Experts are especially critical of the financial mechanism that allows municipalities to receive 50% of the collected fines. According to them, this approach creates a "direct financial incentive" for generating revenue without actually improving road safety.

In its statement, the institute emphasizes that there continues to be a lack of responsibility for:
- Poor road infrastructure condition
- Low-quality road markings
- Inadequate road signage

The key message of the experts is that the proposed changes unfairly transfer all responsibility onto drivers without addressing systemic problems in road safety.