Employers of truck drivers must more carefully monitor the state of health of employees and their ability to perform their duties, Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis (JV) told LETA, commenting on the incident when a truck driver was caught drunk on the Jelgava highway.
He pointed out that the Jelgava highway is relatively busy on a daily basis and the consequences of the truck driver’s irresponsible actions could have been tragically fatal.
At the same time, the minister thanked both the person who reported the car endangering other road users, and also the State Police’s prompt actions upon receiving the relevant report.
“In Latvia, there is and will be no tolerance for drunk drivers. In this case, the driver is primarily responsible for driving while intoxicated, however employers who employ truck drivers should also monitor their employees’ health and ability to perform their duties more carefully,” emphasized Kozlovskis.
He added that there are currently more than 800 impounded cars in the parking lots of the State Insurance Agency, and of these, more than 40% are impounded for drunk drivers.
The minister also noted that these statistics remain consistently high despite the severity of the law.
It has already been reported that this week the State Police arrested a truck driver on the Jelgava highway for being under the influence of three per million.
Criminal proceedings have been initiated for this violation. Such a violation is punishable by deprivation of liberty for up to one year, probation supervision, community service, or a fine, revocation of the right to drive a vehicle for five years.
Tags: Minister Transport condemns actions truck driver caught drunk Jelgava highway
