Nine injured in 148 road accidents across Latvia on Thursday

Nine people were injured in 148 road accidents across Latvia on Thursday, 12 November, Valsts policija, the State Police, said on Friday.

Who was hurt

Seven people were injured in crashes in the Riga region and one each in Vidzeme and Kurzeme. Three of the injured were pedestrians, one was a cyclist and one was riding an e-scooter. Police gave no further details of where or how the accidents happened.

Drink-driving and speeding

Police detained four drivers for drink-driving over the day, most of them in the Riga region. Three were so drunk that the offence is a criminal one, which means their vehicles will be confiscated or they will have to pay the vehicle’s value.

Officers issued 153 speeding reports: 46 drivers were fined in Vidzeme, 32 in Latgale, 30 in Kurzeme, 26 in the Riga region and 19 in Zemgale. One more driver was penalised for aggressive driving. In total, police drew up 417 reports for traffic offences over the day.

With darker evenings in November and sleet possible on the roads, it matters that pedestrians and cyclists can be seen. Winter tyres are compulsory in Latvia from 1 December to 1 March.