Road safety

Turkish authorities will subject drivers who are involved in more than three traffic accidents a year to a psychotechnical test, daily Habertürk reported on June 12, noting that those that fail to pass the test will be stripped of their driver's licenses.

A police officer in the southern town on Nis on Thursday morning drove into a group of children on their way to school.

The officer, 30-year-old M.K., caused the traffic accident at around 07:00 hours CET on a crosswalk at the corner of Tsar Konstantin Blvd. and Nisavska St.

Thirteen people were killed, another 13 sustained serious injuries and 473 walked away with limited damage from a total of 499 traffic accidents that were reported in the region of Attica last month.

According to the Traffic Police's May report, the majority of the 499 accidents were caused by carelessness and violations of basic traffic code rules.

A serious traffic is expected on the main roads in Bulgaria today - on the last holiday day after St. George's Day, reported Dnevnik.

The traffic will eventually be heavier than on the May 1 because many Bulgarian people merged the two vacations together. The traffic police forces and the Traffic Infrastructure Agency organized the traffic so as to be easier.

Traffic police will be increasing routine checks for drink and drug driving and driving licence, as well as for the most dangerous offence - speeding, police officer Nikolay Krusharsky, Sofia Directorate of the Interior, told reporters, as cited by FOCUS News Agency.

"There are fewer cars on the roads at weekends, which encourages drivers to speed up," Krusharsky said.

Greece has been bestowed with yet another depressing distinction, coming number one in all of Europe when it comes to deaths caused by single-vehicle collisions.

Greece has the highest rate of deaths in the European Union due to single-vehicle collisions (SVC), or a road accident in which only one vehicle is involved.

Operation "24 hours speed" initiated by TISPOL started this morning, April 19 at 06:00 Bulgarian time on the territory of Bulgaria.

A total of 153 employees of the road police took part, monitoring the roads for speeding. Stationary and mobile cameras were placed at 176 sites. This was announced by the press centre of the Ministry of Interior.

Speed limit enforcement will be strengthened on Bulgarian roads, announced BNR.

The measures are in the framework of an operation within the European Traffic Police Network - TISPOL and will continue until April 23.

In many European countries, including Bulgaria, a large percent of serious road accidents are caused by speeding.

Pedestrians sit on a bench in downtown Athens on Saturday after a ban was imposed on traffic on Vyssis and Kairi, two side streets leading off Athinas in the Monastiraki area. The two streets are to be pedestrianized as part of a broader bid to hand over more of the capital to pedestrians. [Stelios Misinas/Eurokonissi]