The permissible blood alcohol content for drivers in Belarus is reduced to 0.3 per mille

August 12, Minsk /BELTA/. As of August 12, the permissible blood alcohol content in Belarus is reduced from 0.5 to 0.3 per mille, the Traffic Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus informed BELTA correspondent.

The traffic police hope that this measure will help reduce the number of road traffic accidents caused by drunk drivers. A decrease in such accidents was noted in the first half of the year - 292 accidents occurred, which is 20% less than in the same period of 2010. The number of fatalities also decreased - 73 people (minus 17%), as well as the injured - 341 people (minus 20.5%).

Despite the decrease in the number of road traffic accidents caused by alcohol lovers, inspectors are detecting more and more drunk drivers on the roads. As of July 1 last year, this figure was about 24,000, and in the first half of 2011, more than 25,000 cases of driving under the influence were registered. In total, since the beginning of this year, the traffic police have recorded about 31.8 thousand such facts.

The State Automobile Inspectorate reminds that Article 18.16 "Driving a vehicle by a person in a state of intoxication, transferring control of a vehicle to such a person, or refusing to undergo a check (examination)" of the Code of Administrative Offenses of Belarus, depending on the situation, provides for a fine ranging from 15 to 45 basic units (one basic unit is Br35 thousand). The driver may also be deprived of the right to drive a vehicle for up to three years. In addition, besides administrative responsibility, there is also criminal liability. A case may be initiated under Article 317-1 of the Criminal Code of Belarus, which provides for up to two years of imprisonment with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities.

The traffic police emphasize that a drunk driver not only risks paying a large fine or even getting a criminal record, but also endangers other road users. They should not suffer at all because of his addiction to alcohol.-0-