PROPOSED BILLS PROVIDE FOR HEFTY FINES AND SEVERE PENALTIES FOR YOUNG DRIVERS AND ALCOHOL -Filenews 9/10 by Ioanna Kyriakou
Hefty fines for young drivers who get behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol are provided for in a package of four bills submitted to the Plenary Session of the Parliament and brought before the Parliamentary Committee on Transport for discussion. The amounts reach up to 500 euros, while, in case of conviction, fines of up to 10,000 euros, imprisonment of up to two years and deprivation of a driver's license are provided.
The law proposals, which were submitted by DIKO MP Chrysanthos Savvidis, introduce the principle of zero tolerance for alcohol consumption for young drivers who hold a driver's license for up to three years, as well as for holders of a student driver's license. At the same time, they provide for increased penalties for persons who drive without a driver's license and are found with any amount of alcohol in their body. The changes also include provisions for expedited judicial adjudication of specific violations.
Out-of-court fees from €125 to €500
The first draft law, which amends the Extrajudicial Regulation of Offences Law, sets out three categories of out-of-court fines for new drivers and holders of a student permit, depending on the amount of alcohol found in their body.
| Alcohol on exhalation | Proposed out-of-court notice |
| Up to 9 μg/100 ml | €125 |
| 9 to 22 μg/100 ml | €250 |
| 22 to 35 μg/100 ml | €500 |
The corresponding limits for the percentage of alcohol detected in the blood are up to 21 mg/100 ml, from 21 to 51 mg/100 ml and from 51 to 81 mg/100 ml.
For quantities exceeding 35 μg/100 ml at expiration, the new scale does not provide for out-of-court proceedings and these cases are dealt with through the stricter provisions of the legislation.
Imprisonment and a fine of €10,000 in case of conviction
In addition to the out-of-court proceedings, a proposal for a law was submitted that amends the Road Safety Law and determines five levels of penalties, in case of conviction. These are maximum penalties proposed for new drivers and holders of a student permit. In fact, in the most serious cases, the possibility of a combined imposition of imprisonment, a fine and deprivation of the right to drive is provided.
| Alcohol on exhalation | Maximum imprisonment | Maximum fine | Maximum License Deprivation |
| Up to 9 μg | 15 days | €750 | Not specifically provided for |
| From 9 to 22 μg | 1 month | €1.500 | 3 months |
| From 22 to 35 μg | 3 months | €3.000 | 6 months |
| From 35 to 55 μg | 8 months | €5.000 | 12 months |
| Over 55 μg | 2 years | €10.000 | 2 years |
When is imprisonment of up to three years foreseen?
Even stricter penalties are provided for in cases of driving without the required license, when at the same time any amount of alcohol is found in the offender's body. The proposed law amending the Driving License Law provides, depending on the category of the offense, two levels of sanctions.
The provisions cover, inter alia, cases of driving by persons who have not reached the minimum age for obtaining a licence in the relevant vehicle category, persons without a driving licence or a student permit, as well as cases in which the licence has been suspended or cancelled.
In the first case, imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to €6,000 or both penalties is provided. In the most serious offences, the upper limit is increased to three years in prison or a fine of up to €9,000 or both.
From one to ten penalty points
The fourth bill amends the Motor Vehicles and Traffic Laws and concerns the penalty points that will be imposed on new drivers and holders of a student permit in case of alcohol detection.
Specifically, the following gradations are proposed:
| Alcohol on exhalation | Recommended penalty points |
| Up to 9 μg/100 ml | 1–3 |
| From 9 to 22 μg/100 ml | 3–6 |
| From 22 to 35 μg/100 ml | 4–8 |
| From 35 μg/100 ml | 5–10 |
The aim is to reduce traffic violations and accidents
According to the explanatory statements accompanying the four law proposals, the aim is to form a uniform and stricter framework for the consumption of alcohol by young drivers, holders of a student permit and persons who drive without the required license. As stated, the ultimate goal is to strengthen road safety and reduce traffic violations and accidents. The four law proposals are referred to the Parliamentary Committee on Transport, where they will be examined before being forwarded to the Plenary for voting.
