Bulgaria

Our project directly addresses the challenge of engaging young, high-risk drivers in road safety education. By speaking their language—short, visual, mobile-first content—we create an approachable, modern way to reinforce core driving skills and values.
Many traditional driving instruction methods struggle to capture the attention of today’s digitally native generation, resulting in poor retention of safety-critical knowledge. We're addressing this problem by creating short, practical, and visually engaging videos that directly address common driving mistakes and safety misconceptions.
Their content focuses on real-world driving scenarios that learners often find difficult—such as hazard perception, proper use of mirrors, navigation through complex junctions, safe following distances, and dealing with distractions and stress. These videos also tackle challenges specific to urban environments, such as interactions with cyclists, pedestrians, and aggressive drivers.
Another major issue addressed is the lack of access to consistent quality education outside the driving lessons. By using platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, the project brings road safety education and awareness directly to learners' daily digital environments, reinforcing good habits through repetition and familiarity.
Our approach helps bridge the gap between theory and practice, while contributing to a culture of safety among young drivers across Europe.

According to the data from the European Commission, in 2023 Bulgaria is ranked first in casualties in the Road safety statistics in the EU. In previous years we were second after Romania, which shows that an already bad situation is getting worse.

Over the last 20 years, almost 20,000 people have died and more than 220,000 have been injured, which worsens the demographic problems facing Bulgaria, which ranks first also in the world in terms of population decline!

It is self-evident that road accidents can never be fully eliminated. As normal people and drivers, we accept them as inevitability when they happen due to unforeseeable factors such as infrastructure deficiencies, drivers’ sudden health issue, a person unexpectedly jumping out onto the road, etc.
However, we cannot accept that for decades Bulgarian children and young people have been brutally executed by drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs, by ones driving over the speed limit and by such driving with blatant disregard for the law and the safety of self and others! Most of them are habitual offenders who have previously committed dozens or even hundreds of traffic violations and even accidents without being sanctioned at all! If they had been held accountable by the law, our children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters and cousins would not have been killed! Even after the road killings, such people often receive either suspended sentences or minimal actual imprisonment and then they continue with their criminal behaviour! These kind of sentences are pronounced for tragic accidents in which between 1 and 6 children and young people are killed!

Адресирам основни проблеми, свързани с недостатъчната подготовка на млади и нови шофьори на автомобили, които не се чувстват достатъчно сигурни на пътя; липсата на достатъчно подготовка по пътна безопасност за деца и ученици.

The main challenges:
Quality training in traffic safety for children from 3 to 7 years of age to acquire basic knowledge and skills for moving in an urban environment. Formation of skills for dealing with critical situations

Нашите цели бяха:
1. Да реализираме успех, от който други млади хора да се учат и да следват, целящ да популяризира
доброволното и солидарно начало в обществото.
2. Да превърнем градската среда в една по-уютно и приемащо място за хората, които се чувстват изолирани
3.Да създадем условия за равен достъп на хората с увреждания до услуги - Вярваме, че чрез този проект
можем да дадем добър пример на младежите в града да бъдат социално ангажирани и инициативни към
проблемите на заобикалящата ги среда. Хората с увреждания в България са сериозно изолирани от социалния
живот в един град и това ги кара да се чувстват нежелани от обществото. Смятаме, че с малки, но правилни
стъпки можем да бъдем инициаторите на ценностна промяна не само в нашия град, но и в цялата страна.
Искаме тези хора да имат равен достъп до всяка една услуга, било то публична или частна. Да се чувстват
равноправни граждани на нашия град.
3. Да възпитаме ценности като солидарност и приемственост у младите хора чрез повишаване на социалната
им ангажираност в града - искаме чрез този проект да покажем, че всеки млад човек може да промени средата,
в която живее, ако бъде инициативен и социално ангажиран.
4. Да ангажираме максимален брой местни жители на района с проблемите на хората с увреждания

Bulgaria is a leader in road accidents and deaths in Europe. The analysis of road accidents with children over the years shows that nearly 2/3 of the fatal accidents with children on the road are as passengers. According to data from the Ministry of Interior of Bulgaria, every year in car accidents an average of 20 children-passengers under the age of 14 lose their lives and another 600 are seriously injured. Child safety in cars is neglected by Bulgarian institutions and society. In our country car seats and seatbelts are still not recognized as important safety elements and are rather bought to avoid a penalty than to protect the health and lives of the children. Parents usually seek advice on the topic from friends or random members of online communities, which leads to reinforcement of the wrong behavioral pattern. We aim at making in-car child safety meaningful, understandable, and applicable in every family and by every member of our society. Our main target group is future and current parents of children up to 12 years old. The general public is our secondary target since we believe that in-car child safety is a collective responsibility of the entire society and not just the parents and thus it is important our messages to reach out to everyone. Equally important targets of our work are the institutions and organizations which are directly or indirectly related to the in-car child safety, incl. professionals such as medical staff, child care staff, etc. Those are our potential partners, supporters, and ambassadors of in-car child safety.