Latvia seizes cars from drunk drivers, funds Ukraine
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Latvian authorities have confiscated 550 cars from drunk drivers so far this year, bringing the total seized since late 2022 to nearly three thousand.
The Provisions State Agency stores these vehicles and categorizes them based on value and condition. Around one-third go to scrap yards, vehicles valued up to 10,000 euros go to charities supporting Ukraine, and the most expensive cars are sold at auction.
These auctions have generated over half a million euros for the Latvian state budget this year, with cars donated to Ukraine valued at roughly the same amount. Police report that stricter penalties are reducing the overall number of drunk drivers, falling from 4,500 in 2002 to 3,000 last year, but remain concerned about repeat offenders and the high levels of intoxication among those arrested.
The typical offender is a man between 31 and 50 years old who needs a driver’s license for work, and police find these drivers through both routine monitoring and reports from other drivers, with offenses peaking between April and October.
