Road safety

Heavy traffic is expected across Bulgaria on the last working day of the week as thousands of people begin their travels for the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays. The busiest routes are anticipated to be the exits of major cities and highways, particularly with the influx of travelers leaving Sofia and returning at the end of the holiday season.

The faster a vehicle moves and strikes a pedestrian, the more likely it is to cause severe injury. The final outcome also depends on the height of the vehicle. Even speeds of 40 km/h in residential areas are considered high, as pedestrian injuries at such speeds can be quite serious.

The new Greek traffic code proposes a 30 km/h speed limit in urban areas to enhance road safety, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists, reduce noise and improve air quality. The idea, inspired by the Stockholm Declaration on Global Road Safety (2020), is supported by the UN, WHO and global campaigns like #Love30.

“They’re just kids, let them ride.” That excuse won’t hold anymore. Under the new Road Traffic Code, parents must be more cautious about allowing their children to use electric scooters. Scooters with a top speed exceeding 6 km/h are now banned for minors under 15.

With the Thessaloniki metro's inauguration out of the way, the next cause of celebration we have to look forward to is the installation of new traffic cameras, which the government has vowed to do by the summer of 2025.

Fourteen people lost their lives, and 569 were injured in 501 traffic accidents in Attica during November.

Specifically, the incidents included:

The government on Thursday unveiled a new plan to install advanced traffic cameras nationwide to improve road safety and enforce traffic laws more effectively. The initiative seeks to reduce the number of accidents, particularly in urban areas where traffic fatalities have risen despite improvements in highway safety. 

The caretaker government has approved a draft amendment to the Road Traffic Act, as announced by the Council of Ministers. One of the key changes is the removal of the requirement for the "Civil Liability" insurance sticker on car windshields, which will no longer be mandatory starting next year.

The driver of a car that collided with an electric scooter ridden by a 12-year-old boy, leaving him hospitalized in intensive care, told authorities Friday that she did not run a red light at an intersection in Athens' Holargos suburb, insisting the boy crashed onto her vehicle. 

Temporary traffic restrictions will be in place on Vouliagmenis Avenue, a key route from central Athens to the southern seaside suburbs, starting Saturday and continuing until November 22 due to ongoing roadwork.

The measures, which will affect traffic 24 hours a day, will be implemented in stages.