Drunk drivers

Nearly one fifth of Bulgarians have been in the car with a driver who has consumed alcohol. 37% have witnessed how their relative or acquaintance gets behind the wheel after using alcohol or drugs. 275,000 Bulgarians admit that they drove while intoxicated. This is indicated by the data from a survey by the sociological agency "Trend".

Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis announced on Wednesday that the government aims to toughen laws relating to driving under the influence of alcohol in the event of a fatality or a hit-and-run.

Traffic police will remove the license plates of cars of drivers caught drunk, on drugs, without a driving license or if they refuse to give a breath sample.

The purpose of this measure is to prevent drivers from using the vehicle again.

The strict sanctions were adopted at second reading by the parliamentary Transport Commission.

A total of 984 drunk drivers have been caught in Sofia since the beginning of the year, reported the Interior Ministry.

Over 1,700 drivers have driven cars without a licence.

Drunk driver with 5.19 BAC arrested in eastern town

POZAREVAC -- The traffic police in the town of Pozarevac in eastern Serbia on Thursday arrested a 42-year-old man for driving while extremely intoxicated.

The blood alcohol content (BAC) of the driver, S.B., was 5.19 milligrams per milliliter at the time of the arrest.

The legal limit in Serbia is 0.3 mg/ml.

Drunk driver caught with 5.5 per mil blood alcohol

BELGRADE -- A drunk driver in Uzice, western Serbia, has had his license revoked and was ordered to pay RSD 150,000 after causing a traffic accident.

The man crashed into a parked car and then fell asleep. The police determined that his blood alcohol content was 5.5 milligrams per milliliter.