BRATISLAVA, July 8, (WEBNOVINY) — Drivers who sit behind the steering wheel with alcohol in blood will face tougher sanctions as of September 1, based on the draft amendment to the Road Traffic Act, which Interior Minister Daniel Lipsic (KDH) pushed forward in Parliament on Friday. Based on the amendment, an individual who drives with more than one promille of alcohol in blood (0.476 mg per liter) will be charged with a criminal offense and could be sentenced to one-year imprisonment.
Sanctions against drivers who cause a fatality while drinking and driving or whom court finds guilty of driving with alcohol in blood three times will lose their driving license forever. At present, drivers who caused a fatality under the influence of alcohol can lose their license for a maximum of ten years.
The draft introduces a possibility of acquiring a driving license for the 17-year olds. However, for the first year they will only be allowed to drive under supervision of another driver with at least ten years experience. The aim is to give young drivers the possibility to learn driving from someone experienced.
In order to increase protection of pedestrians and bikers, the draft also introduces new fines for not yielding on a pedestrian crossing. A novelty introduced is an obligation to participate at additional driving lessons for notorious violators of traffic rules.
SITA