It has been a month since amendments to the law came into force which toughened up the rules on drunk driving. The changes to the law provide for criminal liability and confiscation of cars for drunk drivers with an alcohol concentration of more than 1.5 permilles.
Jančevskis said fewer drunk drivers were caught during the holiday period this year than a year ago. However, it is a concern that many of them were heavily intoxicated.
He said he was surprised that the drivers were aware of the consequences of driving under the heavy influence of alcohol, but they still did not comply with the law. He hopes the situation will change over time.
In an interview to Latvian Radio, Chief of the Transport Monitoring and Coordination Office of the State Police Artūrs Smilga also pointed to this. He predicted that the situation would improve when more people face criminal charges and having their vehicle seized and word spreads that this is now what can be expected.
During the holiday, 117 traffic accidents occurred on Latvia's roads, with 16 people injured. The statistics are similar to the previous year's holiday.
