Georgia to impose tougher sanctions for driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs

The Georgian parliament has approved a bill in its second reading which imposes tougher sanctions, including administrative detention, for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. 

The bill put forward by two opposition MPs from Citizens party Aleko Elisashvili and Levan Ioseliani, will have a final, third vote later today, which is of only a technical nature. 

After the parliament approves the bill, the changes will go into force in two months from the approval of the bill.

• 4,999 road accidents reported in Georgia in 2020, 450 killed

According to the bill: 

• Giving a car to an individual under the influence of alcohol to drive will be punishable by a 1,500 GEL fine instead of 1,000 GEL. 
• Giving a car to an individual under the influence of drugs or psychotropic substances to drive will be fined 2,000 GEL instead of 1,000 GEL. 
• Repeated action will be fined 2,500 GEL.
• Sanctions for driving under the influence of alcohol will be defined according to the amount of ethanol in blood. 
• If a driver is found with no less than 0.3 and no more than 0.7 promille of ethanol in his blood, he will be banned from driving for six months. 
• If the amount exceeds 0.7 promille, an individual will be banned from driving for a year. 
• Refusal to allow an alcohol test be conducted will be grounds for the suspension of a driving licence for a year. 
• Repeated action will be punishable by a 2,000 GEL fine, administrative detention for 5-15 days and an additional one-year ban on driving. 
• Driving under the influence of alcohol when a driver has no driving license will lead to fines of 2,000 GEL instead of 1,000 GEL. 
• Repeated action will be fined 3,000 GEL and administrative detention for 10-15 days.
• Driving under the influence of alcohol which leads to property damage or light human injury will be fined 2,000 GEL and an individual will be banned from driving for three years.  
• The same violation when an individual does not have a driving licence will be fined 3,000 GEL and administrative detention for 10-15 days.  
• Repeated action will be fined 3,500 GEL and administrative detention for 10-15 days. 
• An early restoration of a driving license will not be possible for individuals who were caught for driving under the influence of alcohol twice. 
• Driving a moped under the influence of alcohol will be fined 500 GEL instead of 150. 
• Driving a moped under the influence of drugs will be fined 1,500 GEL instead of 300.