Dec. 25, 2005 14:50 | Updated Dec. 25, 2005 14:54

Tougher anti-drunk driver laws to be enforced Mon.
By JPOST.COM STAFF


Beginning on Monday, any police officer will be allowed to require any driver to undergo a "Breathalyzer" test to determine if the driver is driving under the influence of alcohol.

The previous legislation allowed drivers to refuse to comply with the test and permitted police to carry out the test only if it was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the driver was under the influence of alcohol whose driving was a public danger.

Under the new law, failure to comply with the breath test will be considered equivalent to driving under the influence of alcohol.

In addition, the new law - initiated by Transportation Minister Meir Sheetrit- broadens the definition of intoxication and states that drinking alcohol while driving or driving with a high blood alcohol content is sufficient to determine that a driver is sufficient evidence of inebriation.

Sheetrit emphasized that the statistics show that many vehicle-related incidents in Israel are caused by driving under the influence of alcohol.