18 December 2020, the State Automobile Inspectorate is holding a unified road safety day "Say No to Indifference – Call 102!" (prevention of road traffic accidents committed while intoxicated).

Painful conditions of drivers are often the cause of road traffic accidents. Alcohol intoxication should also be included among such conditions.

Painful conditions of drivers are often the cause of road traffic accidents. Alcohol intoxication should also be included among such conditions. Underestimating the danger of these conditions leads to a sharp decrease in driving ability and, consequently, to road traffic accidents.

Since the beginning of 2020, 46 road traffic accidents involving drunk drivers have occurred on the roads of the Vitebsk region, in which 47 people received injuries of varying severity and 19 people died.

Under the influence of alcohol, a person loses the ability to control their actions and correctly assess the surrounding environment. Alcohol masks the feeling of fatigue, and real control over fatigue is disrupted. In the initial phase of intoxication, attention and accuracy of perception, critical thinking, and memory decrease. Subsequently, speech disorders, clouding of consciousness, impaired motor coordination, and muscle relaxation appear.

It is important to note that a person's performance decreases even when consuming minimal doses of alcohol. 5 ml of alcohol (about a teaspoon) reduces the ability to orient oneself by 23-25%, which affects the accuracy of visual estimation. Visual and auditory acuity, as well as colour perception (especially of red), also decrease. Motor reactions slow down sharply.

The degree of intoxication can vary depending on health status, fatigue, emotional state, food intake, alcohol habituation, and individual sensitivity to alcohol.

It is known that alcohol intoxication of drivers is the cause of many road traffic accidents. Some people believe that after drinking "a little," it is perfectly possible to drive, as everything is "under control." This is a profound misconception, as the largest number of accidents occur precisely in a state of mild intoxication.

The self-assessment of a sober person is usually adequate to their real capabilities. In the case of "mild intoxication," a person's actual capabilities are somewhat reduced, but they do not feel it; however, their self-assessment of these capabilities sharply increases under the influence of alcohol. As a result, a person underestimates the situation and the surrounding circumstances, which sometimes leads to tragic consequences.

Drivers in a state of alcohol intoxication are not permitted to drive a vehicle. The Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus stipulates penalties for driving a vehicle in a state of intoxication.

for alcoholic intoxication, the driver's license shall be revoked for a period of 3 years.

If you have witnessed or are reliably aware of the fact of driving a vehicle while intoxicated, show your civic stance, do not remain indifferent and impassive, call and report information about this fact to the ODDS of the Lepel District Department of Internal Affairs by phone: +375297102789 (MTS), +375293274602 (A1) or 102.