RIGA/TALLINN - In hopeful contrast to previous years, the Midsummer holidays in Latvia from June 23-25 saw only 208 drunk-driving arrests, about 300 less than in 2005 and 2004. Yet the celebrations were, as usual, beset by several reports of injuries and one death.
A total of 54 road accidents were reported in Latvia, resulting in 19 injuries and one death, according to the Baltic News Service.
Eight people suffered serious burns, including one man who fell into a bonfire while drunk and sustained burns over 35 percent of his body. He and two others were flown by helicopter from eastern Latvia to Riga for treatment.
Estonia had slightly worse numbers during the Midsummer holidays this year. There were a total of 33 car accidents, leaving four people dead and injuring 54, according to Jana Zdanovits, a police representative. This was up significantly from 2005, when 18 car accidents were reported - 26 injuries and no fatalities.
Estonian police made only 177 drunk-driving arrests, down from 264 the year before.
Emergency Medicine Center director Martin Sics told BNS on June 25 that the previous day had been "a very troubled time with quite a large number of injuries."
Latvia's Traffic Police Chief Edmunds Zivtins had good news for the holidays. Road officers conducted just as many crackdowns as on previous years, he told LNT on June 26, and yet there were significantly fewer drunk-driving arrests.
"We can see that through common efforts we have brought down the number of drunk drivers," Zivtins said.
Police also stopped 500 drivers who had a blood/alcohol level below 0.5 per milliliter, which is the legal limit. Though these drivers had not broken any law, Zivtins pointed out that they were in fact "playing a lottery" that "you can't always win."
A total of 62 drunk drivers were found to be driving without a license, which is punishable by up to two years in jail.
The National Fire and Rescue Service told BNS it had received 58 calls, but none involved fatalities.
