Blown almost 1.5 per thousand, now has rights with code “69”: how alcohol blocks work in Lithuania

The amendment to the Code of Administrative Offenses related to so-called alcohol blocks went into effect on January 1, 2020. Since then, the possibility of driving vehicles with anti-alcohol engine blocks has been introduced as a sanction.

An anti-alcohol engine lock is a device that prevents the vehicle’s engine from starting if alcohol is detected in a sample of the vehicle’s exhaled air.

According to Aurelija Juodytė, Head of the Regitra Department of Communication, the prohibition to drive cars without anti-alcohol engine locks together with the administrative sanction can be imposed by a court or an institution investigating an extrajudicial administrative crime case or by an official .

The duration of the driving ban for vehicles without anti-alcohol engine lock can vary from 1 to 2 years.

“On the driver’s license, the prohibition on driving cars without anti-alcohol engine locks is marked with the code ’69”. According to data from the register of road vehicle drivers administered by Regitra, since the beginning of the application of said regulation until July 2020, 76 drivers licenses were issued with the code “69”, said A. Juodytė.

As you know, the anti-alcohol engine lock prevents the vehicle’s engine from starting if alcohol is detected in the driver’s exhaled air. After starting the engine at regular intervals, the driver is required to blow on the alcohol gauge. If alcohol is detected, the anti-alcohol engine lock automatically stops the vehicle’s engine.

A. Juodytė said restriction code “69” applies to all categories of driver’s licenses. At the end of the alcohol-free engine-free driving ban, if you want to switch to a driver’s license without restriction code “69”, you can do so in the “Regitra” as usual.

‘It should be noted that persons who have been prohibited from driving without alcohol-proof engine locks are not required to install this lock on a legally owned or other vehicle. However, that person can only drive vehicles equipped with anti-alcohol engine locks, “he said.

Don’t lose skills

A. Juodytė explained that the measure banning driving cars without anti-alcohol engine locks is expected to reduce the number of repeat offenses of people driving drunk vehicles.

“Permission to participate in limited traffic allows these people not to lose their driving skills. In addition, it is possible not to lose the job related to driving vehicles.

Regitra agrees that applying alternative penalties is a more effective way to change driving preferences for drivers in the segment in question than to disqualify them for a longer period, ”he said.

A Regitra representative added that the control of people subject to a driving ban is carried out by police officers. For their part, the representatives of the Police Department said that the agents have not yet found practical situations of innovation along the way.

Not only sells, but also rents

Sigitas Baltuška, Head of Communications at Alcotester, which has been selling tickets since 2013, told Delfi that by 2020 the company had supplied the market with devices used for prevention on school buses, city buses, tractors and road maintenance equipment.

“As of January 1 of this year, we have been renting and selling alcohol blocks for drivers subject to administrative penalties,” he said. – We rent or sell German Drager Interlock 7000 alcohol blockers to violators.

According to S. Baltuška, about 25 percent. These alcohol blocks are rented, others are sold.

“The proportion of rented alcohol blocks is growing rapidly, renting an alcohol block, especially for a shorter period, is cheaper than buying a new one. The rental price of alcohol blocks depends on the rental period and ranges from 69 and 99 euros per month.

Some drivers intend to use alcohol blocks after the expiration of the administrative penalty. These drivers buy blocks of alcohol. “Another part of drivers who buy alcohol blocks plans to offset some of the costs incurred by selling a used alcohol block,” he said.

The interviewee also said that Alcotester teachers go to the clients themselves, because the alcohol blocks are installed not only in cars, but also in wooden trucks, tractors, tractors, and it would be difficult to deliver these vehicles to auto repair shops. .

Installing an alcohol block in a vehicle costs about 120 euros.

“Recently, alcohol blocks have been purchased not only by individuals, but also by employers. Farmers and companies install alcohol blocks in their vehicles so that drivers who commit offenses as soon as possible, i and half a year after the Penalty for drunk driving, you could go back to your jobs again, “said S. Baltuška.

A representative of the “breathalyzer” taught that the alcohol lock not only prevents the vehicle from starting when alcohol is detected, but also requests additional sobriety tests at random intervals at least once per hour, and if they do not, the device is crashes after 7 days of detection. All information about the use of the block, including data on violations, is stored and stored in the block’s memory.

Only up to 1.5 ppm

A. Juodytė, a Regitra representative, recalled that the prohibition on driving vehicles without anti-alcohol motor locks is imposed only with the consent of the person subject to administrative responsibility.

“It is always accompanied by a disqualification to drive. The law states that anti-alcohol motor locks can be used as a penalty for people with mild poisoning, i. and. more than 0.4 per thousand but not more than 1.5 per thousand.

Regarding who is not covered by the alternative to anti-alcohol motor locks, it should be noted that a driving ban cannot be imposed on people who have driven vehicles under the influence of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or other psychoactive substances . Those who avoided poisoning or the poisoning test also miss out on taking advantage of this tool.

Driving a vehicle without complying with the prohibition of vehicles without anti-alcohol engine locks is equivalent to driving a vehicle when the driver is deprived of the right to drive, “he said.

R. Juodytė also recalled that if a driver has lost the right to drive due to a violation of the Road Traffic Rules (KET), in that case he can recover the right to drive only after implementing certain requirements.

What these requirements are depends on the type of infraction and the time limit for disqualification.

“If drivers are deprived of the right to drive for a year or more due to KET violations, they will have to complete not only additional training at the driving school, but also pass the theory and practice tests on the” Registry. “

Well, those drivers who are behind the wheel while intoxicated or intoxicated will still need to obtain a health certificate, which is issued under the mandatory training program on the harm caused by alcohol and drugs to human health.

Therefore, depending on the type of violation, only after all requirements have been met, the person’s driving license will be returned. “If it expires, you will have to request a new document,” he said.

R. Juodytė also said that a person can complete additional courses and pass the theory exam before the end of the restriction period.

“We remind you that a positive theory test result is valid until the practice test is passed, but not more than 1 year. At that time, the practice test can only be taken when the restrictions have expired. Regitra receives all data on the applicable restrictions for Lithuanian drivers from the relevant registries.

We remind you that the police gave residents the right to drive until 2017. Currently, it is rare, but there are cases in which a person has committed a crime and lost the right to drive in 2017; if such people meet all the requirements, it is necessary to contact the police, who will return the right to drive, “said a Regitra representative.

Three elements

A. Juodytė noted that, according to scientists, the transportation system consists of three interrelated elements: the road environment, the vehicle and the traffic participant.

“It can be stated that the causes of traffic accidents can be poor road quality or inadequate difficult driving conditions, vehicle failure, non-compliance with technical requirements and inappropriate and unsafe human behavior,” said A. Juodytė.

He argued that Regitra’s mission was linked to two factors: Vehicle registration ensured that only legal vehicles would enter traffic. and. All obligations, including the technical inspection test, are in order and the driving tests ensure that the correct drivers will have the right to drive in real traffic.

“A driving method that increases the likelihood of an accident or of being injured or hurting another in a traffic accident is considered risky. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving under the influence of alcohol is a manifestation of unsafe driving behavior and one of the most important signs of risky driving.

It should be noted that this risky driving factor is not related to motor vehicle driving skills, but is derived from the individual attitudes of the driver. Because drinking or poisoning not only impairs driver attention, reaction speed, but also reduces critical importance when evaluating driving skills, such driver behavior is very dangerous.

Regitra regularly organizes road safety promotion projects in an effort to sensitize future drivers to risky driving factors such as non-compliance with speed limits, external driving, persistent traffic offenses, belt evasion Safety and, of course, beverage driving or intoxication, cooperate with scientists who analyze risky driving attitudes, “said A. Juodytė.