High speed that is inappropriate for the conditions is the main problem in the serious chain-reaction crashes on the Trakia Motorway, Gen. Rumen Milanov said on the “The Day ON AIR” programme. According to him, fog is not an excuse for the drivers’ behaviour, but a factor requiring lower speed and a greater distance.
“In fog, the road surface has a lower coefficient of friction,” Milanov said. He added that the drivers in the convoy had failed to take the road conditions into account, and suggested that the heavy goods vehicles may also have been travelling at an inappropriate speed. The definitive causes of the crashes, however, will be established by the investigation and expert assessments.
Two crashes involving 86 vehicles
The incidents occurred on 10 November between the Zimnitsa and Kabile interchanges in the Yambol area. A total of 86 vehicles were involved in the two crashes – 63 travelling towards Burgas and 23 towards Sofia. Eleven people died, and dozens were injured. As of 11 November, 36 people remained in hospital, four of them in critical condition.
According to Interior Ministry data, the first crash began in the carriageway towards Burgas after a heavy goods vehicle blocked the path of a bus. Collisions with other vehicles followed. The second chain-reaction crash occurred in the direction of Sofia, and authorities are checking whether the attention of some drivers was diverted by what was happening in the opposite carriageway. There was dense fog and almost zero visibility in the area.
The investigation continues
The Prosecutor’s Office is investigating whether the condition of the road surface contributed to the crashes. Asphalt samples have been taken, while the Road Infrastructure Agency has been asked to provide documentation on the construction, commissioning and repairs of the section. A specialised expert assessment is to evaluate the road’s grip and technical condition.
More than 50 witnesses have been questioned, and the investigation has been taken over by the National Investigation Service. An automotive engineering expert assessment is to reconstruct the mechanics of the collisions, along with a comprehensive assessment of the connection between the incidents, the deaths of 11 people and the injuries suffered by the victims. At this stage, the Prosecutor’s Office has not named any specific defendants.
Proposal for a lower speed limit
Gen. Milanov proposed reducing the maximum permitted speed on motorways from 140 to 130 km/h. He called on drivers to maintain a lower speed and a greater distance in fog.
According to him, road traffic control should be more active during the hours when the thickest fog is expected. He proposed that police teams take up positions in the emergency lane and warn drivers about the dangerous conditions. “Distance and lower speed – these are the things that must be observed,” Milanov said.