Russian Road Roulette—Bulgarian Style

Think you are a daredevil on the roads? Well, this story will perhaps inspire you. According to British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, a group of SUV-driving young males in their twenties is racing through the roads of Sofia, Bulgaria in a game termed “Russian Road Roulette”. The rules are simple: Speed through red lights at night—without hitting the brakes, other vehicles or pedestrians—and you win.

Reportedly, drivers blast through intersections at speeds up to 200 km/h. Another version of the game requires the death-seekers to circle roundabouts against the flow of traffic. Around fifty drivers are believed to be involved, Bulgarian officials say, and that up to 5000 euros (RM 25,243) are sometimes staked by drivers and bystanders.

At least five people were killed since “Russian Road Roulette” started last year, but authorities are having difficulties clamping down as such races are often organised at very short notice.

Judging from how some daredevil Malaysians drive, you could be forgiven for thinking that we have our very own “Russian Road Roulette” too.

AboutSeow Yaohan

Seow Yao Han strives to bring you the latest and the most comprehensive information on cars available in Malaysia. But it's never easy for him to talk and write cars in this part of the world because what you lust after is often not what you drive home. When the euphoria of test-driving that branded, super-expensive sports car dies down, he just goes home in his less-than-glamorous ride.