Every year, thousands of Ukrainian drivers avoid accountability for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, and this problem is becoming increasingly acute
Research indicates that over the past five years, approximately 22% of those accused of drunk driving in Ukraine circumvent the law, avoiding fines or license disqualification. This not only violates the law but also contributes to the increase in road traffic accidents, which annually result in hundreds of fatalities and thousands of injuries. According to official statistics from the patrol police, in 2024, drivers under the influence caused over one thousand accidents, in which 110 people died and more than 1,300 were injured. This signifies an unmistakable threat to road safety and highlights that the problem of drunk drivers remains one of the most pressing issues for Ukrainian society. Just last year, Ukrainian courts reviewed over 167,000 cases related to violations of traffic rules while driving under the influence. While this number was gradually increasing before, in the last six years, the rate of such cases has grown by 50%, indicating a worsening situation. However, the most painful aspect of this issue is the tendency among offenders to evade punishment. An analysis of judicial practice conducted by journalists from NGL.media revealed that about 22% of those accused of drunk driving face no sanctions at all — no fines, no license disqualifications. In many cases, judges dismiss cases either for procedural reasons or because of attention to minor or technical violations by law enforcement officers, making it nearly impossible to hold violators accountable. Over the past decade in Ukraine, there have been two notable periods of stricter penalties for drunk driving: in 2016 and 2021. Currently, the minimum punishment involves a fine of 17,000 hryvnias and mandatory license suspension for one year. Repeat offenders within a year face more severe consequences — license disqualification for three or even up to ten years. The threat of losing any driving privileges motivates some drivers to seek ways to evade the law. In judicial practice, one of the most common methods of avoiding responsibility is case closure due to expiration of the review period or dismissal for lack of elements of an offense. Previously, courts refused to consider cases based on a three-month statute of limitations, but since March 2021, when this period was extended to one year, such closures have become less frequent. Nonetheless, most cases are closed due to a lack of factual violations or on the grounds of unreasonable inadmissibility of evidence. For example, there are cases where judges issue rulings based on copies of video recordings from body cameras, which is not a lawful basis for case dismissal—for instance, in Skvyra, Kyiv region, Judge Oleksandr Kovalenko dismissed a case because he considered the provided video to be a copy, not the original. Meanwhile, another judge in Lviv region, Marianna Oleschuk, on similar circumstances, penalized the driver with a fine. Among Ukrainian judges who regularly handle cases under Article 130 of the Administrative Offenses Code, the most prominent is Vadym Honcharenko, head of the Zhovtnevy District Court of Dnipro. According to data collected by NGL.media, over five years he reviewed more than 3,600 cases related to drunk driving, averaging about three cases daily — twice as many as any other judge. The case closure rate exceeds 83%. Without commenting publicly, Judge Honcharenko remains a key figure in this "ranking" of Ukrainian judiciary in this field. Experts point out that such a generous and often lenient attitude of judges towards drunk drivers has political, legal, and human roots. Anyone can challenge unlawful court decisions through the High Council of Justice, which reviews complaints against judges. However, this process often drags on, and the results tend to leave the individual free. Svitlana Ilnytska, Deputy Head of the High Council of Justice, emphasizes that responsibility for wrong decisions is borne not only by judges but also by oversight bodies, which often accumulate a significant "margin of patience" towards violators. She notes that in cases involving alcohol-related offenses, sanctions are usually limited to warnings or reprimands, and dismissals are extremely rare. Meanwhile, the financial losses for the state in this sector are significant: in 2024, over 5 billion hryvnias from the state budget were allocated for pensions of retired judges. In summary, the issue of evading responsibility for drunk driving remains urgent and complex. Legislation is changing, punishments are being intensified, but the human factor in the justice system still provides many opportunities for those seeking impunity. This problem requires systemic solutions and active civic engagement to improve the effectiveness of law enforcement and judicial institutions and to enhance road safety across the country.