Bulgarian police catch 158 motorists drink-driving in three days
Bulgarian police caught 158 motorists drink-driving, 52 of the drivers close to three times over the limit, in a special operation from July 31 to August 2, the Interior Ministry said.
During the countrywide operation, the drivers of a total 6325 vehicles were checked.
The largest number of those driving with blood-alcohol levels exceeding the legal limit were in Vratsa, 12, followed by Blagoevgrad, 11, and nine each in Varna, Shoumen and Pleven.
Police also caught 111 people driving without a licence: 14 in the town of Sliven, 13 in Sofia, and 10 each in Bourgas and Pernik.
Bulgaria’s Road Traffic Act provides that a motorist found with a blood-alcohol level of 0.05 to 1.2 faces a penalty of 500 to 1000 leva (about 250 to 500 euro) and suspension from driving for six months to a year. Those with a blood-alcohol level above that may be jailed for up to a year.
Driving without a licence carries a penalty of 100 to 300 leva, and in the case of a repeat offence, jail for up to two years.
(Photo: Zsuzsanna Kilian/sxc.hu)
