Over 22K intoxicated drivers identified starting this year
President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, expressed concern about the situation on the country's roads and drew special attention to the need to toughen the punishment for driving while intoxicated, Startegy2050.kz reports referring to the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“In accordance with the instructions of the Head of State, the Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated proposals to strengthen criminal and administrative liability for such offenses”, the message reads.
For 9 months this year 342 accidents were committed by drunk drivers, in which 64 were died and 493 injured.
“In peacetime, people die on the roads through the fault of irresponsible drunk drivers. There is no excuse for this. Therefore, for such violations and crimes there should be a proportionate punishment, taking into account the severity of the consequences”, Minister Yerlan Turgumbayev said at a meeting with heads of services of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Thanks to work to ensure road safety and daily patrolling of roads, many accidents were avoided.
Since the beginning of the year, police officers identified over 22 thousand drivers who were intoxicated. Of these, more than 17 thousand were brought to administrative responsibility in the form of deprivation of the right to drive vehicles.
1,878 persons were brought to criminal liability for driving a vehicle after being deprived of this right and in a state of intoxication.
At the same time, statistics show that the current administrative penalties do not have the necessary impact on the discipline of drivers and the number of accidents does not decrease.
Tighter penalties for drunk driving will increase the safety of all road users, both drivers and passengers, as well as pedestrians.
Currently, relevant proposals are being prepared, which will be agreed with interested state bodies, the deputy corps, and the public.
