Road accidents in Kazakhstan injure 80,000 nationwide since early 2013

    By Daniyar Mukhtarov
    Around 2,400 people have died and 80,000 have been injured in Kazakhstan because of traffic accidents since early 2013. President Nursultan Nazarbayev made the statement while meeting Interior Minister Kalmukhanbet Kasymov at the Ak Orda residence, a news statement from the president said.
    "A significant number of people die from road accidents in the country. Since early 2013, there have been some 2.5 million cases of traffic violations recorded, 26,000 drunk-driving arrests, around 2,400 deaths and over 80,000 injuries," he said.
    With this regard, Nazarbayev stressed the need for measures to decrease road accidents across the country.
    "Amendments to relevant regulatory legislation have been created to tighten responsibility for traffic violation," the interior minister said.
    He noted that getting caught speeding at over 40 kilometers per hour or moving into the opposite lane will result in drivers losing their license. He added drunk driving penalties will entail fines of 500 MCI (minimum estimated index), 300 hours of public service or six months jail time, according to Trend.