Roadside tests have shown the presence of narcotic drugs in the bodies of 63% of car drivers tested by Sofia Traffic Police in 2016, the Ministry of the Interior announced on Thursday.

Twenty-six out of 41 car drivers stopped for testing in the area of Sofia have tested positive for the presence of narcotic or intoxicating substances in their systems, the ministry said in a statement.

Other regions in Bulgaria have shown even higher percentage of driving under the influence of drugs, which is a legal offence in the country.

The head of Bulgarian Traffic Police, Boyko Ranovski, told BNT public TV broadcaster last week that 50 out of 70 roadside tests for the presence of narcotic drugs conducted in Burgas Region were positive. In Pazardzhik Region 20 out of 30 tests were positive, Ranovski said.

While alcohol remains by far the main intoxicating substance impairing the capability for car driving in Bulgaria, traffic police statistics indicate that driving under the influence of narcotic drugs is more widely spread than initially thought.

Traffic Police have been using hand-held devices for roadside tests to detect the use of narcotic drugs by car drivers since 2010.