Seimas adopted regulation concerning liability for failure to use alcolocks in vehicles

Press release, 27 March 2019

The Seimas adopted amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences (draft No XIIIP-1876(2)), thereby laying down the liability for failure to comply with the ban on driving vehicles with no ignition interlock devices as from 2020. With 1 abstention, the new legislative provisions were adopted by 102 votes in favour.

The adopted amendments will enable the law enforcement institutions to choose from the two available administrative sanctions against a drunk driver. The offenders will also be entitled to choose whether to have their driving licence withdrawn for a longer period of time, in addition to paying a fine, or to have their driving licence withdrawn for a shorter period of time on condition that they will, for a certain period of time after the recovery of the driving licence, be banned from driving a vehicle without an ignition interlock device installed in it.

In January 2019, the Seimas adopted amendments to the Law on Road Traffic Safety, thus making way for the legalisation of the use of alcolocks as from 2020. The Law regulates that an alcolock is a device that prevents engine ignition of a vehicle if it detects alcohol in the driver’s breath sample. Hence, the main function of these electronic devices is to prevent the driver from starting the vehicle’s engine if he/she wants to get behind the wheel while unsober.

Given the new amendments, upon the expiration of the withdrawal of the right to drive, the persons, who were served with an administrative penalty, thus banning them from driving a vehicle without an alcolock, will have their right to drive restored provided that the vehicle has an ignition interlock device installed in it for the validity period of the ban.

Rimas Rudaitis, Chief Specialist, Press Office, Information and Communication Department, tel. +370 5 239 6132, e-mail: [email protected]