Operation “Winter” on the Bulgarian roads started

From today, November 1, traffic police started checks as part of operation "Winter", which aims to ensure that vehicles are ready for driving in winter conditions.

It will last until 30 November.

Law enforcement agencies will monitor both the preparation of vehicles for winter conditions and the behavior of motorists and pedestrians. The operation will also focus on bicycles, scooters and animal-drawn vehicles.

From 15 November to 1 March, all vehicles are required to be equipped with winter tyres with a minimum tread depth of 4 mm.

The operation will go through three phases, each with a duration of 10 days.

Operation “Winter” has been conducted annually for more than 30 years. The first phase, from November 1 to 10, will focus on cars, the second phase will focus on pedestrians and passengers, and the third phase on safe driving. On the road, people always behave as if they are alone, or caught up in some thoughts of their own, forgetting that there are people around them. And winter is a season, characterised by fewer hours of daylight. Traffic police draws people's attention to the fact that they need to prepare for driving in winter conditions. Both pedestrians and motorists need to be ready for winter," said Commissioner Maria Boteva, deputy head of the Traffic Police Department.

"The first ten days - from November 1 to 10 - we are focusing on the safety of the vehicles such as bicycles, individual electric scooters, animal-drawn vehicles. The police will check whether their drivers are equipped with the necessary reflective elements that are required by law in respect of scooters, with a reflective vest in respect of cyclists. I draw attention here to the drivers of animal-drawn road vehicles, for the drivers of carts, in this case, in addition to the requirement for motorists to wear reflective vests in the dark part of the day and in reduced visibility, they are obliged to register that vehicle with the municipality and, accordingly, that vehicle must be marked with the necessary reflectors and have a light-emitting device on the left side at night. So these things are quite important in terms of visibility," Commissioner Boteva explained.

The police call is also for pedestrians to wear reflectors in the dark part of the day if possible.

"Currently, the Road Traffic Act does not require pedestrians to be wearing reflective items or clothing in the dark part of the day. However, this is our call because most of the clothing that people prefer to buy for the winter is in dark colours and this makes them even more invisible, less noticeable to drivers. It's a good idea to move on pavements, on pedestrian areas that are designated specifically for them. And especially when there are no such pedestrian areas, the place of the pedestrian is opposite the car traffic, so that the pedestrian can perceive the car flow and take action to save their own life if something accidentally occurs on the road", summarized Commissioner Boteva.

"This is what we will be looking out for in the second phase. This phase will involve ensuring pedestrians’ right of way and motorists giving way to pedestrians, but also ensuring pedestrians comply with rules for crossing roads safely."

The third phase, from November 21 to 30, is entitled “Safe Driving in Winter”.

This is to focus on the technical condition of vehicles and the lights.