The number of accidents was down by 4% or 700 compared to 2014, the head of the Traffic Safety Agency, Igor Velov, told the press on Thursday.

But while the number of accidents decreased, the number of casualties was up. Last year, 120 people died in car crashes, while in 2014 Slovenian roads claimed 108 lives, Velov noted.

There were also more people injured. In 2014, a total of 8,220 sustained light and severe injuries, while last year the figure was at 8,487.

The most tragic month of 2015 was July, when as many as 26 people lost their lives (19 in 2014).

This year's budget of the Traffic Safety Agency will be higher by about a quarter of a million euros than in 2015, so Velov announced more focus on prevention.

The first campaign will start on Friday, raising awareness on the danger of using a cellphone while driving.

Last year, officers wrote 20,000 fines for the use of cellphones and 23,000 in 2014, Ivan Kapun of the General Police Administration said. The fine is EUR 120.

Two other campaigns are planned for this year, one targeting lorry drivers and another highlighting the importance of keeping a safe distance.

A change is also planned in the investigation of accidents in that the state of the road infrastructure will be taken into consideration.