Tough penalties to cut Russia road deaths

[csv8]

Tough penalties to cut Russia road deaths

From: AAP
November 24, 2012 9:46PM

RUSSIA will introduce tough punishments for drunk driving of up to 15 years in prison and $US16,000 ($A15,500) in fines to combat the "horrific" annual death toll on its roads, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says.

Medvedev said about 28,000 people lost their lives in road accidents last year in Russia - one of the highest tolls in the world - even though the fatality rate had been falling in recent years.

"The road tragedy statistics are still horrific. None of us are without blame and we have to start with ourselves," Medvedev said in a video blog posted on the government website.

The video - viewable at blog.da-medvedev.ru - begins with Medvedev sweeping around the driveway of his residence at the wheel of a black jeep, conspicuously wearing a safety belt.

He said the government would put forward legislation that would introduce a minimum punishment of five years in jail and a maximum of 15 years for causing death while drunk at the wheel.


Drunk drivers who are found speeding or jumping red lights will face massive fines of 500,000 rubles ($A15,500) in Moscow and Saint Petersburg and 250,000 rubles in other regions.

Medvedev's video blog - his favoured form of floating new ideas - appears to be a response to a string of highly publicised accidents that have made the public more aware of road safety problems in Russia.

Prominent Russian actress Marina Golub was killed in a traffic accident in October while travelling in a taxi hit by a speeding car.

And in one particularly horrific incident in Moscow in September, a drunk driver rammed a bus stop at high speed and killed seven people including five orphans from a children's home.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/b...-1226523464254

[Nikked]

Russian dashcams...

[SSD-85]

They never had this problem back in the USSR days.....

[Phil B]

Originally Posted by Eagleheart

They never had this problem back in the USSR days.....

I suspect that that's because most of the vodka they made got used as rocket fuel in missiles. Oh and yeah, there wouldn't have been anything high speed about driving a soviet era car!

[Jim Goose]

I recall a report about the growing alcoholism problem in Russia.... it was past 30% of the population. 4th highest consumer of alcohol in the world.

[2011G6E]

Sounds like a good start...perhaps we can learn something from our comrades behind the iron curtain...

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

I recall a report about the growing alcoholism problem in Russia.... it was past 30% of the population. 4th highest consumer of alcohol in the world.

Several years ago I did the Trans-Mongolian Railway. Crossed the border from Mongolia into Russia and stayed in Irkutsk for a few days.

Walked into the local small supermarket to buy some bottles of Vodka. The next leg of my trip was Irkutsk-Moscow, 88hrs of 3rd class goodness and I thought what better way to break the ice with the locals while on the train than to share a drink ;)

They would have had a section with over 150 different types of the stuff (like us with our wines I guess). I asked a worker for some help... she told me that the real cheap stuff ($1.30-$1.60 a bottle) was poision, but then advised me to buy a few bottles of a certain brand that 'all the young people drink' that was $2.70...

Yeah... Now I know why the guide books say that 3rd class should be left for the locals... I remember the chap below me was called Yuri, I remember him offering me a drink, I remember me taking out my bottle as well. And I remember me trying my best to lock / chain my bags to the bed before I passed out.....

Alcoholism is a huge problem over there... it goes down like water.

[graham7773]

2011G6E, I am with you. Sick of the road carnage. IMO heavy/harsh penalties will slow down all but the psychotically criminal fools who are regularly at 20 plus Ks and more over the speed limit. A red P plater recently pinged at 150kmph in a 60kmph zone. Whatever that person gets will not be enough in our penalty system.

[2011G6E]

I was thinking more of drink driving laws...no idea why they give people up to three offences before losing your licence "for life" (read, five years maximum), and why they keep giving people work licences to just keep on driving...

One chance, and one chance only before you lose the privilege to hold any licence of any sort ever again...simple...