Drug-driving Becomes Common on Romanian Roads

Romania is a country famous for its reckless driving. Also, Romania is the EU champion for road crash fatalities, which shows that the Romanian law is too lenient for those who drug-drive and drink-drive.

The change in legislation is expected to reduce the number of drivers who drug or drink-drive. Namely, when there are fatalities following accidents, the culprit driver, if intoxicated or under drug influence, faces prison without any other possibility of being released.

The recent national rage against the drug-addicted driver who killed two youngsters in Vama Veche, South Romania, sent tremors to the system. Not only was the driver caught twice under drug influence, but he was caught during that very night and released by police without any further investigation. However, he was clearly under drug influence.

Meanwhile, mass media received a press release from the Romanian National Police, which says that more and more drug addicts drive their cars recklessly on the roads.

Between January 1 and August 20, 2023, police registered almost 2,000 cases of drug driving nationwide, a higher number compared to last year, the Romanian Police said in a release on Tuesday evening.

Between January 1 and August 20, 2023, the police caught 1,938 drug-driving motorists, by 3 percent more than 1,880 in 2022. The cited source states that as many as 2,866 such offences were identified throughout 2022.

On the other hand, as many as 5,375 drink-driving cases were identified nationwide between January 1 and August 20, 2023, down from a similar period of the previous year, when 5,948 such offences were detected. As many as 9,105 drink-driving offences were registered with the police throughout 2022, the cited source said. 

The conclusion is that drugs seem to be more and more available in Romania. Authorities are overwhelmed by this phenomenon, and the flyers telling people not to take drugs have no effect on the vulnerable population. Plenty of programs in Romania, funded with millions of Euros, still use flyers and posters to persuade youngsters not to take drugs, obviously, with zero effect.

Meanwhile, drug addicts still have driving licenses. A life ban for drug driving would diminish road casualties and fatalities, but a drastic change in legislation is needed.