One death and 20 drunk drivers arrested on Sunday in Latvia / Article

State police have promised that, as usual during the summer holidays, they will monitor road users more closely and carry out increased checks to detect drivers under the influence of alcohol.

In total, police arrested 20 drivers yesterday for driving under the influence of alcohol: nine in the Riga region, two in Latgale, one in Zemgale, three in Kurzeme and six in Vidzeme.

The majority of those arrested will find that Midsummer will prove extremely costly: 15 drivers were heavily intoxicated, meaning their vehicles or equivalent value will be confiscated.

On Līgo Day, 80 road accidents were recorded in Latvia, in which one person died and 16 others were injured, the state police informed.

At 2:05 a.m., in the Tukums district, a car left the road and overturned. One person died in the road accident and two others were transported to a medical facility. Police are still investigating the circumstances of the incident.

On Sunday, seven people were injured in accidents in the Riga region, three in Zemgale, 15 in Kurzeme, 10 in Latgale and five in Vidzeme. One of the victims was a pedestrian, three were cyclists and one was an electric scooter driver.

Yesterday, 257 speeding tickets were issued: 24 drivers were fined in the Riga region, 46 in Kurzeme, 57 in Vidzeme, 64 in Latgale and 66 in Zemgale. Six drivers were fined for aggressive driving.

In total, police issued 523 citations for traffic violations on June 23.

In previous years, around 25 drunk drivers were arrested each day of the Midsummer holiday, with the trend remaining fairly consistent despite repeated attempts at enforcement.

If you’re driving today and have had a few beers during the celebrations overnight, make sure you’re well rested and completely sober before getting behind the wheel.

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