Today, State Agency Road Safety Chairperson Malina Kroumova, together with State Agency for Child Protection Chairperson Eleonora Lilova, launched an exhibition of children’s posters on road traffic safety at the Largo of Sofia. The event also awarded the winners of the Protect Your Family on the Road! National Poster Contest.
“The biggest number of road accidents involving children is in the age group between 10 and 17 years. This is the age at which they often start going to school independently and take more individual action, with no adult by their side”, stressed Malina Kroumova and added that it is very important to use every opportunity to draw children’s and young people’s attention to traffic safety rules. “Not only does this make young people much more responsible and knowing, but they also become a corrective to their families and friends. For every parent, it is their own child who sends a much stronger message on compliance with traffic safety rules than any message sent by various organizations and experts”, Malina Kroumova added.
Nearly 40 children and young people from across the country took part in the first National Poster Contest under the motto “Protect Your Family on the Road!”. State Agency Road Safety and the State Agency for Child Protection implemented the initiative jointly. The youngest participant is 7-years old and the oldest – 24 years old. All the works received have been put together into an exhibition that will remain open to visitors of the Largo until the end of the month.
“Talent should be encouraged and the messages of young people in Bulgaria should be made visible to our society as a whole! I would like to thank everyone for your participation and wonderful work, and do not forget: On the road, everyone’s life is important and every person is an important part of someone else’s life”, Eleonora Lilova said at the event.
Together with children’s visions, the exhibition also shows important facts and messages related to road traffic safety. The exhibition is planned to be showcased in other public places, with several other municipalities already willing to host it in visible locations in their cities. Part of the images will also be used in future information campaigns and events on road traffic safety.
Malina Kroumova and Eleonora Lilova awarded certificates and prizes to contest winners. The selection panel included eminent Bulgarian artist Ivan Yahnadzhiev who handed over some of the awards. Full list of winners:
Group 1 winners (1st – 4th grade):
1. Petya Dimitrova – first place
2. Denitsa Marinova – second place
3. Gamze Vasvi – third place
Group 2 winners (5th – 7th grade):
1. Stoyan Panchev – first place
2. Zhulian Dimov – second place
3. Kaloyan Kirilov – third place
Group 3 winners (8th – 12th grade):1. Plamen Vasilev – first place
2. Emilia Angelova – second place
3. Nikolay Nyagolov – third place
Group 4 winners (university students):
1. Anna Gineva – first place
In view of the few Group 4 participants, the jury unanimously decided to award only the first prize. However, three encouragement prizes were presented to contest participants as follows:
– Momchil Momchilov;
– Nestor Taskov;
– Martin Seychev.
Following a close vote on State Agency Road Safety’s Facebook page, winners in the Audience Choice Award category are:
– Keyko Delouf-Sis;
– Mihael Haralambiev.
