More drunk driving raids to be conducted in Lithuania

  • 2009-02-24
  • TBT staff

VILNIUS- Lithuanian police will beincreasing their drunk driving checks this year.

Police Commissioner General Vizgirdas Telycenas in a meeting on Feb. 23submitted a statement to Interior Minister Raimundas Palaitis, the LithuanianInterior Ministry, saying that despite the cost of such raids, the results areeffective.

Such raids come at a considerable price to the police, said the policecommissioner general, however noting their effectiveness as being undeniable."Even though we inform the public every time on the exact days we plan toexecute the mass raids, we determine around 300 cases of drunk driving on eachsuch occasion", Telycenas said.

Palaitis resolved to find money for the raids (purchasing Alcotest tubes) infunds allocated for traffic safety, saying it has already been coordinated withTransport and Communications Minister Eligijus Masiulis.

Palaitis and police chiefs met after a tragic car crash, which occurred inVilkaviskis district of Southwestern Lithuania, leaving 7 passengers of a GrandCherokee land-rover dead, with three children among them. The driverresponsible for the crash was allegedly under the influence of alcohol.