Bulgaria continues to be among the countries with the highest road mortality in the European Union, despite the fact that over half a billion leva have been accumulated in the Road Safety Fund. This is shown by an audit by the National Audit Office for the period 2021 - mid-2025, which raises serious questions about the management of funds and the effectiveness of measures to limit road injuries.
As of June 2025, 523.4 million leva are available in the Road Safety Fund. The funds are mainly formed from fines imposed through automated traffic control systems.
Over the past four and a half years, the fund has received 428 million leva, but only 125.1 million leva have been spent. The reasons for the accumulation of funds are administrative problems, delayed and terminated public procurement, as well as limited opportunities for municipalities and other organizations to apply.
The auditors warn that due to inflation, the real value of the accumulated funds has already decreased significantly. If the current management model is maintained, the unused resource could reach 873 million leva by the end of 2028.
Road safety funds are also spent on repairs, equipment and competitions
According to the National Audit Office, a significant part of the funds are not directed to activities with a direct effect on traffic safety.
Of the 125 million leva spent:
- 47.6 million leva (38%) are invested in activities directly related to road safety – cameras, control systems, breathalyzers and drug tests;
- 67.3 million leva (54%) were spent on activities with an indirect effect, including the purchase of cars;
- 10.2 million leva (8%) were used for expenses unrelated to road safety – renovations of Ministry of Interior buildings, air conditioners, official clothing, computer equipment, stationery, seminars and competitions such as “Traffic Policeman of the Year“.
As an example, funding for the construction of an administrative building of the Ministry of Interior in Silistra worth nearly 4 million leva is also cited.
Analysis of the causes of the accidents is missing
One of the most serious conclusions in the report is the lack of a thorough analysis of the causes of the serious road accidents.
According to data from the Ministry of Interior, over 485 thousand were registered in the country for the period. road accidents, but only about 30% of them are visited by police teams.
The auditors point out that not enough information is collected about the remaining accidents and no systematic analyses are made on the role of road infrastructure as a factor in accidents.
More accidents and injuries despite increased control
In 2024, the number of road deaths decreased to 478 people, which is 15% less than in 2021.
However, the remaining indicators worsen:
- accidents have increased by 11%;
- injured people have increased by 19%;
- seriously injured people are 30% more.
According to the National Audit Office, the efforts of the Ministry of Interior are mainly focused on speed control, while a number of other risk factors remain insufficiently addressed.
Infrastructure remains neglected
The audit notes that despite the available financial resources, no projects have been funded to secure dangerous areas through marking, lighting or other infrastructure solutions.
An example of a successful measure is the installation of dividing posts in the Kresna Gorge, after which deaths in this area were reduced to zero.
Sanctions do not permanently change the behavior of drivers
The inspection shows that that increasing the number of fines does not automatically lead to better road discipline.
Between 2021 and 2024, the number of issued penalty documents increased from 2.5 million to 3.3 million, but violations continue to increase.
Among the main problems are:
-
delayed delivery of electronic tickets;
-
large number of canceled sanctions;
-
focus on easily detectable violations instead of the riskiest behavior on the road.
The auditors emphasize that sanctions have a preventive effect only when they are quick, fair and unavoidable.
Bulgaria remains among the most dangerous countries in the EU
The country continues to be among the leaders in the European Union in road mortality.
In 2024, 74 people died in Bulgaria per million inhabitants. For comparison:
-
Sweden – 20 people;
-
Denmark – 24 people;
-
The Netherlands – 32 people;
-
Germany – 33 people.
In 2023, Bulgaria was in first place in the EU in this indicator, and in the remaining years of the period it ranked second after Romania.
The forecast is worrying
The Court of Auditors warns that under current trends, Bulgaria will not meet the European target of halving the number of victims and seriously injured on the roads by 2030.
As a result of the audit, the institution makes 26 recommendations to the Minister of Internal Affairs to improve the management of the fund, road control and the effectiveness of safety measures.