Instead of a general ban on trucks over 12 tons from using the left lane on motorways and two-lane expressways in the direction of the direction, concrete "Jersey" type safety fences should be placed in the dividing strips. This was suggested by Vladimir Todorov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bulgarian Association of Accident Victims, in an interview for the program "Newsroom" on Radio FOCUS.
According to him, there were incidents in the summer in which heavy trucks tore off guardrails, entered oncoming traffic and caused serious accidents. Todorov claims that the existing barriers do not meet the requirements and have a low retention rate.
Warning for truck convoys
Todorov warned that a general ban on heavy trucks in the left lane could have the opposite effect. “Imagine a car moving at 60 kilometers per hour and 30 trucks lined up behind it, unable to overtake it“, he said.
According to him, such a convoy could make it difficult for cars to enter junctions. Therefore, he suggests that the overtaking ban be implemented with road signs only in specific sections where this is necessary.
Lack of rest areas
The chairman of the association identified the lack of suitable places for trucks to stay as a serious problem. According to him, there is no place for drivers to pull over and park for tens of kilometers, and the existing places often lack sufficient sanitary conditions.
As a possible measure, Todorov indicated stopping heavy goods traffic on Friday afternoons and Sunday afternoons during busy traffic. He emphasized that this should be combined with providing suitable places to stay.
Concrete barriers and control dispute
Todorov claims that concrete “Jersey” type fences have an operational life of over 50 years, while galvanized guardrails last 10-15 years. He made allegations of lobbying and corruption, which, according to him, have hindered the use of such systems, but did not name specific companies or evidence.
According to him, the Automobile Administration has 134 road employees for 20,000 kilometers of road network. Todorov stated that the broader transfer of control functions to the Ministry of Interior would require additional personnel, training and technical means.
He also raised the issue of creating a register of people who are not allowed to drive a car due to health or other restrictions. In conclusion, Todorov pointed out that he had traveled 740 kilometers along the longest highway in Greece, where the lanes are separated by concrete safety fences, and called for similar solutions to be discussed in Bulgaria.
Sources: Focus