On 14 March, regulations came into force allowing cars to be confiscated from drivers operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or another intoxicating substance:
The new regulations allow a car to be seized in the following situations:
- A driver will lose their car if they have at least 1.5 per mille of alcohol in their blood,
- A driver will lose their car if they cause an accident with more than 1 per mille of alcohol in their blood,
- A driver will lose their car if they were under the influence of an intoxicating substance, regardless of the degree of intoxication,
- A driver may lose their car, by court decision, if they cause an accident with more than 0.5 per mille of alcohol in their blood.
But that is not all. As the wiadomosci.radiozet.pl website reports:
Much is being said about the possibility of confiscating cars from intoxicated drivers. Meanwhile, as a result of the amendment to the Criminal Code, another group may also lose their vehicles. The regulations also cover people who cause an accident and flee the scene without providing assistance to any potential victims. In such a case—regardless of whether the driver was under the influence of alcohol or sober—the court may decide to confiscate the vehicle.
The regulations provide that after confiscation, the vehicle will be stored in a vehicle impound lot until the court issues a final judgment. Once the proceedings have ended, the car will—according to the court’s decision—be returned or auctioned. The initial starting price will be 75 percent of the vehicle’s value as determined by an appraiser.
More information is available at: prawo.gazetaprawna.pl