Drinking and driving law under revision

Drivers with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of up to 0.03 percent will no longer receive points on their license under changes to traffic law awaiting President Václav Klaus' signature.

At present, any driver caught with any amount of alcohol in their system faces a six- or seven-point penalty and a fine ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 Kč, according to Transport Ministry spokesman Martin Novák. The amendment, passed by the Chamber of Deputies May 3, still allows police to issue a fine of 2,500-20,000 Kč to drivers with a BAC of 0.03 or less.

The Czech Republic is one of four European Union countries - along with Hungary, Slovakia and Romania - with a zero-tolerance drinking and driving policy.

The punishment for anyone caught driving with a BAC of more than 0.03 - or approximately one half-liter of beer for an adult male - remains the same: either a penalty of up to seven points, the maximum for a single offense, or driving license suspension. 

"Drinking and driving without punishment does not exist," said Petr Bendl (Civic Democrats, ODS), the chairman of the Traffic Subcommittee.

According to Bendl, the amendment makes additional "necessary" changes to the traffic law, including mandating the use of winter tires from November to March and further changes to the penalty-point system for traffic violations.

The point system was introduced in 2006, and after receiving 12 points, drivers lose their license. Under current law, there are 44 different point offenses; the amendments reduce that number to 27.

"A profound reduction took place in minor offenses where life is not at stake," said Bendl.

Parking violations no longer warrant point penalties, and all one-point infractions have been eliminated. However, life-threatening offenses, like street racing, will be punished more severely in the future.

Police reported more than 75,000 accidents on Czech roads in 2010, a 1 percent increase from 2009. Of the total, more than 12 percent involved drunk drivers.

The overall death toll from traffic accidents has decreased in recent years. Police registered 753 fatalities in 2010, the lowest figure since 1961. Traffic deaths caused by drunk driving fell 12 percent from 2009.

According to the World Health Organization, the Czech Republic ranks among the worst countries in the EU for traffic fatalities, with 12 deaths per 100,000 people in 2009, the most recent year from which statistics are available.

If signed by Klaus, the amendment to traffic law will take effect this August.

Gordon LaForge can be reached at
features@praguepost.com