Scientific paper ID 1791 : 2019/3

Road traffic traumatism is an enormous health, social and economical problem which is very actual for Bulgaria for the recent decades. The traffic traumatism is the eight main reason for death in developed countruies, although for the young population under 29 years old the transport trauma is the main cause of death. That’s why a research on the factors leading to road accients is very important. The weather factor is important for road safety. The meteorological factor had been studied in many publications abroad, although in Bulgaria their number is limited. The results of such studies could be useful for preventing the traffic accidents.

Meteorological conditions have a significant impact on the land transport safety and on the roads meintanence. Weather influences driver’s behavior, vehicle performance, and the road conditions. Under adverse weather conditions, the risk of accidents increases considerably, as road downtime and congestion increase. It was found that the weather conditions in 50 to 80% of the cases were an active or indirect cause of catastrophes, and in 15-20% of cases - the main cause of the catastrophes. The strongest influence have rain, fog, natural light, wind, ice formation and high temperatures.

This article reviews the scientific publications on the impact of meteorological factors on road safety.