Progress in the Fight Against Drunk Drivers in Latvia Has Stalled 0 7

According to the State Police, last year 2,990 administrative and criminal cases were initiated for driving a vehicle while intoxicated, which is 298 fewer than the previous year, when 3,413 such cases were recorded.

On Thursday, at a meeting of the Road Safety Council, Juris Jančevskis, Deputy Chief of the Main Public Order Police Department and Head of the Response Division, stated that the decrease is noticeable; however, the number of detained drunk drivers remains high.

Jančevskis noted that the behavior of drivers has been influenced by the amendments to the Criminal Code in 2022, which provide for criminal liability for driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content exceeding 1.5 per mille.

A police representative agreed that with a larger number of police officers, the number of detained drivers could be even higher. "We would have more opportunities to respond, conduct checks, and identify violations," Jančevskis noted.

The Director of the Department of Road Transport at the Ministry of Transport, Talivaldis Vectirans, evaluating the data from recent years on driving under the influence, noted that "there is stagnation" and the situation in Latvia is not improving overall. "Yes, there was a decline, but it is followed by a horizontally flat trend - nothing is changing. It is good that it is not getting worse, but it is also not significantly getting better," emphasized Vectirans.

It was previously reported that this year, 19 people have died as a result of traffic accidents in Latvia.

Last year, 118 people died in traffic accidents, which is seven more than the previous year. 326 people were seriously injured - 13 more than in 2024, and 3,528 road users were lightly injured.

A total of 17,818 traffic accidents were registered last year, which is 203 cases more than in 2024.