Road fatalities in Bulgaria increased sharply during the first half of 2026, with 219 people losing their lives in serious traffic accidents by the end of June, according to data from the State Agency for Road Safety. The figure is 32 higher than during the same period in 2025, underscoring the continuing challenge of road safety in the country.
A total of 3,032 serious traffic accidents were recorded nationwide in the first six months of the year. Those crashes left 3,759 people injured, 23 fewer than in the corresponding period last year, even as the death toll climbed significantly.
Pedestrians and passengers accounted for the largest increases in fatalities. By the end of June, 39 pedestrians had died in road accidents, 13 more than a year earlier. Passenger deaths rose to 61, an increase of 12, while 118 drivers lost their lives, six more than during the first half of 2025.
The number of injuries followed a different trend. Injured drivers totaled 1,847, down by 12 compared with last year. Passenger injuries increased slightly to 1,176, while pedestrian injuries fell to 727, a decrease of 20. The report also recorded the death of one road worker and injuries to nine others.
The highest number of serious accidents occurred within the jurisdiction of the Sofia Directorate of Interior, where 333 crashes were registered. Varna followed with 296 serious accidents, while Plovdiv recorded 288. The fewest were reported in Pernik with 32, Yambol with 37, and Gabrovo with 38.
