Road safety expert: public reaction to welfare minister's drunk driving was insufficient

Speaking on Latvian Television's program "Viens pret vienu" (One on One), Oskars Irbitis, a road safety expert with the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD), said that public reaction to a case in which the welfare minister drove a vehicle while intoxicated has not been strong enough.

Irbitis explained that Latvia still maintains an excessively tolerant attitude toward drunk driving, and that many people do not fully grasp the risks involved. He also pointed to a common belief in society that "one drink is fine" — the idea that a small amount of alcohol before driving carries no real consequences.

A mindset that needs to change

According to the expert, this way of thinking is a problem that needs to be rooted out in Latvian society. Irbitis stressed that this kind of tolerance toward drunk driving, even when it involves high-ranking officials, helps perpetuate dangerous situations on the roads.

The expert's comments came amid public discussion of a case in which the welfare minister was found to have driven a car while under the influence of alcohol.