Moldovan drivers caught drunk at wheel to be deprived of driver's licences

Chisinau, 18 May /MOLDPRES/ - Drivers caught drunk at wheel will be deprived from driver’s licences and will be obliged to work up to 240 hours for the benefit of the community. Prime Minister Pavel Filip today made statements to this effect following a meeting of the National Council for Road Traffic Safety.      

At a news conference, the PM noted that the measures of toughening punishments were necessary, as the imposing of fines proved to be inefficient.

“The driving of vehicles drunk represents an extremely dangerous phenomenon; therefore, we ruled to toughen the measures. The authorities widely analyzed this phenomenon and today we decided to immediately raise the driver’s licence at the moment when the driver was caught drunk at wheel. Subsequently, the judge, during three days, will confirm or not the raising of the driver’s licence. After the driver’s licence is raised, the vehicle will be arrested and brought to a special parking against payment. The procedure of bringing the car will cost 250 lei, plus 50 lei for each hour of its stay on the territory of the parking. In all, the cost for one day of transport means’ stay in parking will cost about 600 lei,” Filip said.    

Besides the immediate withdrawal of the driver’s licence, a fine will be imposed to the driver in form of unremunerated labour for the benefit of the community up to 240 hours. “People will have to work in community centres, to clean streets, cemeteries, morgues. At the same time, we will exclude the fine for driving drunk, as it has not proved to be efficient. Also, the files concerning drivers caught drunk at wheel could no longer be interpreted by judges, as the legislation will be well-established,” Filip noted.    

The changes see also the toughening of the conditions for returning to traffic for drivers who committed offences drunk, by the cancellation of the right to drive, with possibility to get this right in four years. “After being deprived of the driver’s licence for a four-year period, to get it again, the driver will be obliged to pass an exam. Also, drivers will be obliged to pass the anti-alcohol and anti-drug programme, which see discussions with psychologists and experts about risks existing when driving transport means drunk. The programme will have 20 hours and will cost 4,000 lei. At the end of the course, a confirmative certificate will be provided, which will be demanded to offer a new driver’s licence. We rely on the re-education of drivers. We do not want to make money with the fines imposed; we want a systemic approach and not a settlement of problems only for a while. The law must be observed and cannot be interpreted. The present amendments are to be approved,” the PM said.   

According to data by the National Patrol Inspectorate, in the last two years, out of 5,000 traffic accidents, about 600 were triggered by people driving drunk. Over 50 drivers died and several hundreds were injured. Also, on this period, more than 2,700 cases were registered when guilty persons escaped responsibility.    

(Reporter A. Ciobanu, editor L. Alcaza)