Grieving parents fight to make Bulgaria's killer roads safer

Sofia, Bulgaria: Standing next to a memorial for her 14 year old son, mowed down by a drunk driver in downtown Sofia a year ago, Nikolina Petkova vowe...

Sofia, Bulgaria: Standing next to a memorial for her 14-year-old son, mowed down by a drunk driver in downtown Sofia a year ago, Nikolina Petkova vowed to work to make Bulgaria's roads less lethal.

"Nothing can bring our Filip back," she said.

"But I am speaking out so that no more parents will wait in vain for their child to come back home."

Bulgaria's roads are ranked as the most dangerous in the European Union, with 82 deaths per one million inhabitants, according to official figures for 2023 published by the European Commission. Sweden has the best figures among the EU's 27 nations with 22 deaths per million.

Filip's father, Krasimir Arsov, is among several grieving parents who blame Bulgaria's high number of traffic deaths on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and an inefficient justice system.