Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

Every day а person gets killed at level crossings in Europe, said the Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Anton Ginev during the initiative marking the International Day for the safe passage of railway crossings. According to him, the main reason for these accidents is non-compliance with road transport rules.

"Not stopping at level crossings with the signaling on is like going through red traffic lights. Breaking the rules in both cases can lead to fatal accidents”, said Deputy Minister Ginev. He urged drivers to comply with the road transport rules to avoid serious accidents at railway crossings.

Volunteers from the Bulgarian Association of Accident Victims will give out leaflets to drivers with the rules for safe passage of crossings today. Experts from the NRIC and BDZ explained what the most common causes of accidents are and how they can be avoided, today at the railway crossing in Ilinden residential area in Sofia. The assistant driver involved in the accident in the city in Septemvri, when one person died and five were injured due to a truck passing through the crossing when the signaling was on, took part in the event.

The chief safety inspector at NRIC Biser Minchev said that six incidents have happened in Bulgaria at rail crossings from the beginning of the year with eight people were injured and four casualties. In 2013 there were 31 incidents, with four casualties and 13 injured.