Of the detained vehicle drivers, six had an alcohol concentration in the body of between 0.5 and one per thousand, two – between one and 1.5 per thousand, while 11 vehicle drivers were heavily intoxicated at the wheel when the alcohol concentration in the body exceeded 1.5 per thousand.
In the past 24 hours, the most persons were checked in the Riga region – 4,626, but the most drunk drivers were caught in Vidzeme.
Eight criminal proceedings have been initiated in Riga, Vidzeme and Zemgale for driving a vehicle while drunk and without a license, while one criminal proceeding has also been initiated in Zemgale for driving a vehicle under the influence of narcotic substances. On the other hand, in Latgale, one driver tried to avoid the breath alcohol concentration test.
Since December 20, the State Police has been paying increased attention to specific traffic hazards – as far as possible, the police are conducting inspections throughout Latvia, emphasizing that drivers do not drive while intoxicated, as well as checking seat belts and whether passengers are being transported safely.
From December 20 to 26, the State Police has conducted 23,618 checks of vehicle drivers throughout Latvia, in which 85 drunk drivers and four persons who were driving under the influence of narcotic substances were caught.
In raids, the State Police detected the most drivers under the influence of alcohol – over 1.5 per thousand, followed by drivers under the influence of alcohol from 0.5 to one per thousand, while the least detected were drivers under the influence of alcohol from one to 1.5 per thousand.
So far, the most drunken drivers have been in the age group from 31 to 50 years, and the least – in the age group up to 30 years.
In November 2022, amendments to the Criminal Law entered into force, which provide for criminal liability for driving a vehicle or teaching to drive a vehicle, if the concentration of alcohol found in the exhaled air or blood test exceeds 1.5 per thousand. Likewise, criminal liability is provided for driving a vehicle or teaching to drive a vehicle while under the influence of narcotic, psychotropic, toxic or other intoxicating substances.
In addition, the vehicle is confiscated if the owner drove it under the influence of alcohol or refused to be tested for the presence of intoxicating substances in the body. In cases where the vehicle driven while intoxicated belongs to another person, the full or partial value of this vehicle shall be recovered from the guilty person.