Last year Slovenia received the prestigious European PIN Award for Road Safety. In 2015 the number of severe traffic accidents dropped considerably. However this year the number of deaths on Slovenia's roads has again increased. According to the latest police figures (until the 18th of December) 122 people died on Slovenian roads this year, while in the same period last year the number stood at 115.

"The award we received was intended for a longer period of time, as a country's traffic safety record is assessed for a period from five to ten years. It was then established that Slovenia had done a lot in the field of traffic safety in the last ten years, and that the country had managed to halve the number of deaths caused by traffic accidents. In the last five years Slovenia has shown signs of improvement in the area of traffic safety, but some years are an exception to the rule, like for example this year. Traffic safety is influenced by a number of factors, as it is a very complex issue," explains the head of the Public Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Traffic Safety, Igor Velov.

Mr. Velov adds that in the past some traffic safety measures were affected by cuts and that there was a lack of financial initiatives for NGOs working in the field of traffic safety. "Meanwhile the number of registered vehicles and holders of driver's licenses has increased. Economic growth has also led to a rise in the transit of cargo vehicles. There are more and more tourists, and people are a little more relaxed when it comes to driving under the influence of alcohol and other illegal substances," Velov lists the possible causes for the increased number of accidents.