Drunk drivers to be jailed for 2 years in Russia

The State Duma of the Russian Federation is addressing the issue of introducing criminal liability for DUI. Beginning with November, drunk drivers can face a real prison term of up to two years.

State Duma deputies intend to finalize the draft law initiated by Irina Yarovaya, in which a fine of 200,000 rubles for repeated incidents of drunk driving was supposed to be replaced with coercive labor for up to 480 hours or administrative arrest for six months.

"I will again initiate imprisonment from one to two years as punishment if a person drives under the influence repeatedly, a year after previous sanctions expired," first deputy chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Legislation Vyacheslav Lysakov said.

Lysakov believes that the introduction of strict criminal penalties for drunk driving can be a significant deterrent factor, because "for many people, the fact of conviction on criminal charges can ruin their biography."