MOSCOW, September 24 - RAPSI. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has proposed increasing liability for car accidents committed by drunk drivers.
"We have had a wave of horrific car accidents," he said at a meeting with his deputies. "Regretfully, most are committed due to heavy alcoholic intoxication. In this respect, our situation is worse than in any other country. United Russia deputies have raised this issue today. It is probably worth considering raising criminal liability for such crimes."
He stressed that the level of liability must be increased amid the numerous recent horrific car accidents in the country that occurred as a result of drunk driving. A drunk driver rammed into a bus stop in Moscow on Saturday, killing seven people, including five boarding school students.
Medvedev said liability in such cases should be higher.
Presidential Children's Rights Commissioner Pavel Astakhov shares his opinion.
"The prospects of a criminal case and a custodial sentence should become a deterrent against drunk driving," Astakhov wrote on Twitter.
At the same time, he has proposed improving the testing procedure to prevent abuse.