A man in Kazakhstan's capital has been handed an administrative arrest after drifting his Mercedes-Benz right next to residential buildings, costing him ten days of freedom. The city prosecutor's office and police took up the case, infohub.kz reports.
Law enforcement treated the driver's actions as a deliberate breach of public order and a threat to people.
"The driver of the Mercedes-Benz, who allowed the rear of the car to skid near residential buildings, drifting and performing dangerous maneuvers, posed a threat to those around him," the statement said.
The violation was recorded under Article 434 of the Code of Administrative Offences — petty hooliganism. Because drifting in a courtyard posed a real danger to passersby, the court did not settle for a simple fine and ordered the offender jailed for ten days.
The prosecutor's office stressed that it will now work with police to regularly identify and punish such reckless drivers. The main goal is to show that dangerous driving cannot escape accountability. Drivers are urged to follow traffic rules and not risk other people's lives.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that 21,400 traffic accidents occurred in the country in the first eight months of this year, 5% fewer than a year earlier. Fatalities fell by 15%, with 1,230 people killed in crashes (compared with 1,400 the year before).
The positive trend is visible almost nationwide. The number of accidents declined in 17 of 20 regions. The biggest drop in crashes was recorded in the Ulytau, Abai and Mangystau regions. The most notable decline in road deaths was registered in the East Kazakhstan, Almaty and Atyrau regions.