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Medvedev supports tougher punishment for drunk driving accidents

A tougher responsibility for the road accidents, which are committed by the drivers in the state of drunkenness, was raised after the tragedy in Moscow

MOSCOW, September 24 (Itar-Tass) —— Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev supported an idea to toughen punishment for the road accidents, which are committed in the state of drunkenness.

“Probably it is needed to ponder over making criminal responsibility tougher for such crimes, because even with such awful consequences, as those related with the latest road accident in Moscow, responsibility is quite moderate,” the prime minister said at a meeting with his deputies on Monday. “The responsibility should be tougher,” the premier said.

However, the problem is not only in this issue, Medvedev said. “I believe that it is high time for us to analyze once again those programs, which we are implementing, realizing and certainly examine the scope of the measures of responsibility,” the prime minister remarked.

“Unfortunately, the absolute majority of horrible road accidents are committed in the state of heavy drunkenness,” he stated. “In this respect, we have a worse situation than in any other country,” Medvedev noted.

A tougher responsibility for the road accidents, which are committed by the drivers in the state of drunkenness, was raised after the tragedy in Moscow. On September 22, a drunken driver ran down to death seven people, who were standing at the bus stop, in the west of Moscow. Five teenagers, who won the Moscow arts festival among children with disabilities “We are Together!” were killed in the road accident.

The United Russia faction will offer a tougher punishment for drunken drivers, head of the United Russia faction in the State Duma Andrei Vorobyev said on Monday. “(Relevant) amendments will be prepared soon on this week,” he said. “We believe that very low fines of 5,000 roubles and the maximum administrative arrest term of five days are absolutely not acceptable. The punishment for drunk driving should be toughened, as well as that for unlicensed driving,” he noted.

“If we take a look at our neighbours, particularly at Belarus, a fine at 2,500 dollars is effect in that country for such offences,” the leader the United Russia faction recalled. “Respectively, a fine of no less than 100,000 roubles for drunk driving will be offered,” Vorobyev confirmed.

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