Bulgaria Remembers Traffic Accident Victims

A mass for those who have died in traffic accidents on Bulgaria's roads was served in the "Sveti Sedmochislenitsi" church in Sofia. File photo

Bulgaria marks Sunday the International Day of Victims of Traffic Accidents with a mass at the Sofia "Sveti Sedmochislenitsi" church and a number of other events.

Volunteers of the Bulgarian Red Cross are handing brochures to passerby all day. The Sofia "Odeon" movie theater will show free of charge documentaries and demonstrations focusing on safe traffic.

Events will be held in a total of 19 Bulgarian cities and towns.

Candles were lit in front of the electronic counter of traffic accidents at the Military Medical Academy in downtown Sofia. Organizers announced this will be also the location of a future monument of traffic accident victims. They appeal to all to place a lit candle on their windowsill at 7:30 pm Sunday.

The happenings are organized by the State-public Consultative Committee on Traffic Safety Problems, the Traffic Police, the Union of Bulgarian Automobilists, the "Tale about the Road" Foundation, and the Bulgarian Association of Traffic Accident Victims.

Statistics show that at least one Bulgarian dies on the road every day. In the last 24 hours, there have been 13 serious accidents (1 in Sofia, where there have been 75 fender-benders as well), claiming 3 lives while 17 have been injured, 3 of whom are critical.

In the last 10 years, there have been 9 852 fatalities and 90 690 injured.

6 609 accidents were registered in 2010, which claimed 776 lives and injured 8 078.

Since the beginning of 2011, the accidents are 5 824 with 586 fatalities and 7 527 injured.

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