• Cross-party support to change drunk driving laws
  • 11.05.2009

Civic Platform, the ruling government party, seeks to change the penal code regarding those arrested driving under the influence of alcohol so that the penalty would be community service.

 

Currently, those convicted of drunk driving are subject to heavy fines, have their driver’s licenses taken away for ten years and face up to two years in prison.

 

“ Those arrested for drunk driving will have to, for example, mow the grass around their buildings. The idea is that their neighbours will know who they are,” stated Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, Deputy Minister of Justice. Authors of the bill seek to curb people from driving drunk by creating an atmosphere of social stigmatization.

 

The responsibility for doling out community service would rest upon the State Treasury because they have the funds to organize the project. Additional punishments will involve temporary limitation of civil liberties and will resemble ‘probation,’ requiring those convicted to report regularly to a probation officer. As well, passports will be temporarily seized. Repeat offenders will face stronger punishment.

 

“The idea of community service is a good idea, though I worry about organizational problems. I support life-long driver’s license suspensions. Only such strong punishments will stop the plague [of drunk drivers],” claims Professor Kruszynski, a criminal law specialist at the University of Warsaw.

 

The Justice Ministry wants courts to take advantage of all existing possible forms of punishment. The Ministry is organizing special trainings to that end at the National School of Judiciary and Prosecution.

 

According to the daily Polska Times, the opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) supports PO’s bill as they recently initiated similar legislation. PiS politicians now seek to open a common front in the fight against drunk driving in Poland.

 

In 2005, 14 percent of all road accidents in the country involved a drunk driver. Poland has an almost zero-tolerance policy towards driving under the influence of alcohol with the legal Blood Alcohol Content limit set at 0.2 g/litre. (mmj)