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PM calls for harsh measures against drunk driving

The proposals discussed earlier have been summarised in a draft law

GORKI, January 14 (Itar-Tass) — Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called for harsh measures against drunk driving in Russia.

“We have returned to this issue many times, and I think we should do so again and finally take measures against drunk driving rather try to calculate per mille that may or may not be allowed before driving,’ Medvedev said at a meeting with his deputies on Monday, January 14.

The proposals discussed earlier have been summarised in a draft law, which envisages harsh penalties for drunk driving, he added.

The prime minister cited statistics as indicating that about 134 road accidents involving drunk driving took place in Russia during the New Year holidays. As a result, 15 people were killed and about 200 injured.

The Interior Ministry, the Justice Ministry and the Transport Ministry were earlier instructed to submit their proposals on changes to criminal and administrative legislation to impose harsher penalties for operating vehicles in a state of alcoholic intoxication.

New measures include a large fine and suspension of the driver’s license for a longer period than now; criminal penalties for recurring offences, punishable by a large fine and suspension of the driver’s license for the period stipulated by law; determination of the minimum and maximum terms of for imprisonment for serious harm to one’s health or death of one or more people.

The Justice Ministry and the Interior Ministry, in cooperation with interested federal executive bodies, were instructed to prepare proposals “on a mechanism for temporary seizure of vehicles as security to ensure compliance with penalties in administrative offence cases involving drunk driving.