When every second is life, the ambulance drives with lights and sirens, runs red lights, violates restrictions and takes the right of way. But are ambulance drivers completely exempt from the fines that ordinary drivers would receive in the name of saving lives? In Bulgaria, the answer is ambiguous.
Do ambulance drivers receive fines in Bulgaria while working? What does the law say and what are the rules?
According to the Road Traffic Act (RTA), vehicles with a special regime of movement (such as ambulances, police cars, fire engines) have the right to violate some rules, but only with light and sound signals turned on and in compliance with safety measures.
Art. 91 of the Traffic Act states:
„When performing an urgent official task with special light and/or sound signals turned on, the driver of a vehicle with a special traffic regime may not comply with some rules, but is obliged not to endanger other road users.“
What happens when there is a violation?
In practice, ambulance drivers sometimes receive fines, especially if:
► it is found that they did not have signaling devices turned on;
► they did not have a real urgent medical mission;
► they caused an accident due to excessive speed or risky behavior.
There is no automatic exemption from sanctions in the Traffic Police system - the cameras record all violations. Even if the ambulances are on alert, the fine is issued according to the general procedure, and then the hospital or the driver must appeal by providing evidence that the ambulance was on call.
Emergency service drivers from different cities in Bulgaria say that they sometimes receive tickets for:
► running a red light (even with the lights on);
► parking in prohibited areas while visiting a patient;
► speeding outside a built-up area.
"I have received a fine for running a red light – even though I was on my way to a stroke and had my signals on. Then we had to write explanations and appeal", says an ambulance driver from Sofia.
The lack of a central mechanism
The problem – According to experts, there is no clear and automated mechanism that would exempt emergency teams from administrative penalties in real time. This leads to:
► additional bureaucracy for drivers and hospitals;
► mental stress for drivers who already work in a stressful environment;
► cases in which drivers pay out of pocket to avoid arguments.
The drivers of the Emergency Service in Kubrat have to go to the traffic police station in person every time, and after the inclusion of the toll cameras in the speed detection system, they expect this to become an everyday occurrence.
At the entrance to the village of Belovets, Petko Petkov was caught driving at 144 km/h. At that time, he was driving a child in a coma who had fallen off a bicycle to a hospital in Ruse. He had injuries and hemorrhages. “If the speeding is up to 50 km/h, the ticket is electronic and is appealed ex officio by our superiors and is discarded. When it is over 50 km/h, the ticket becomes an act. In the last month, I have gone to the traffic police twice to appeal. First, they write me an act, and I - objections. Then I go a second time because they want the medical documentation for the specific case. I write a second objection to the act”, Petkov tells Nova TV. His colleagues' concerns are that with the measurement of average speed by toll cameras, their walks to the traffic police will become an everyday occurrence.
“About 70% are red codes that require an urgent response from our side. These are life-threatening situations”, share medics.