Alcohol intoxication remains one of the key risk factors on Latvian roads. An analysis of serious accidents showed that in every fifth such traffic accident, the participants were under the influence of alcohol.
Alcohol continues to play a significant role in the most serious traffic accidents in Latvia. This is evidenced by data from the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD), which analyzed 464 serious traffic accidents.
It was found that in 98 cases, or 21.1% of accidents, one of the factors that influenced the incident was alcohol intoxication.
Chairman of the CSDD Board Aivars Aksenoks reported that among the participants in such accidents were not only drivers of vehicles. There were 61 drivers, 34 pedestrians, eight cyclists, and six moped drivers under the influence of alcohol.
The problem is also reflected in the statistics of fatalities. Since the beginning of this year, 34 people have died on the roads of Latvia. Nine of them were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. Among the deceased were five car drivers, three pedestrians, and one moped driver.
According to CSDD traffic safety expert Oskars Irbitis, the consequences of such accidents are usually significantly more severe.
"People under the influence of alcohol become bolder, which is why such accidents are often accompanied by significant speeding and the non-use of seat belts," noted Irbitis.
He emphasized that driving under the influence remains the second most significant risk factor for serious traffic accidents after inappropriate speed choice.
Police statistics show that the problem remains large-scale. In 2025, 2,727 cases were initiated in Latvia for driving under the influence of alcohol. Of these, 1,960 were criminal cases — in instances where the alcohol concentration exceeded 1.5 per mille. Another 767 violations were considered administratively.
In the first five months of this year, the police detained 1,057 intoxicated drivers. In 750 cases, criminal proceedings were initiated, and in 307 cases, administrative proceedings were initiated.
What is important to know: the problem concerns not only motorists. The police regularly identify intoxicated cyclists, electric scooter drivers, and moped riders, who also pose a threat to themselves and other road users.
Last year, 1,196 cyclists were detained for operating vehicles under the influence of alcohol. In the first five months of this year, there have already been 336 such cases.
Additionally, in 2025, the police identified 166 intoxicated electric scooter drivers, and this year — another 57. Dozens of cases of operating mopeds under the influence of alcohol have also been recorded.
Head of the State Police Response Department Juris Jančevskis acknowledged that for a country with Latvia's population, the scale of the problem remains too large.
Against the backdrop of the upcoming holidays, specialists remind once again: the risk of serious consequences arises not only for the intoxicated driver but also for passengers, pedestrians, and other road participants.
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