At the session, deputies discussed and adopted in the first reading the draft law “On introducing amendments and additions to certain legislative acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan in connection with the improvement of the road safety system.”
According to the draft law, it is proposed to introduce into the Criminal Code a provision establishing criminal liability of the person who handed over a vehicle to a minor in cases where this resulted in moderate or severe bodily harm to a citizen, the death of a person, or other grave consequences.
Also, the draft law envisages introducing a number of amendments and additions to the Criminal Procedure Code, the Code on Administrative Liability, and the Law “On Road Traffic.”
In particular, it is proposed to establish separate and enhanced liability measures in the Code on Administrative Liability for entrusting the driving of vehicles to minors, organizing and participating in illegal races among motor vehicles, leaving trucks on the roadside at night in a manner that endangers road users, violating the procedure for deregistering a vehicle, and exceeding the established speed by more than 80 kilometers per hour.
In addition, it is envisaged to introduce a new type of administrative punishment — the temporary impoundment of a motor vehicle for a period of six months to one year. It is proposed that this punishment be applied when offenses such as road hooliganism, organizing illegal races, driving a vehicle while intoxicated, or refusing to undergo a medical examination to determine intoxication are committed by persons who do not have a driver's license or have been deprived of such a right. This measure, in cases stipulated by law, shall be applied by district or city courts on criminal cases.
The draft law also provides for improving the penalties established for driving a vehicle while intoxicated or refusing to undergo the relevant examination, as well as limiting for a certain period the possibility of paying a fine at a discount in the event of repeated commission of certain gross violations.
According to the deputies, the main goal of the draft law is not to toughen punishments, but to prevent dangerous offenses, increase the responsibility of drivers, and ensure human life and safety on the roads.
We recall that on February 25 of this year, in the Mirabad district of Tashkent, Doniyor Turgunov, born in 2010, a 10th-grade student of a private school, while driving a BMW M4 without a driver's license, struck Khosilbek Eshnazarov, an inspector of the road patrol service of the Road Safety Department of the Tashkent City Internal Affairs Department.
The inspector died despite being under the supervision of doctors for three days. Later, his family was taken under state protection.
In March, Doniyor Turgunov was taken into custody. He was brought into the case as a suspect in committing crimes provided for by Part 1 of Article 267 and item “d” of Part 3 of Article 104 of the Criminal Code. Currently, court proceedings in this criminal case are ongoing. As the case involves a minor, court sessions are being held behind closed doors.
