Lviv City Council has appealed to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Cabinet of Ministers with a proposal to tighten legislation in the field of road safety. The focus is primarily on liability for drifting, illegal street racing, driving under the influence and driving without a licence.
During the session, councillor Tetyana Shevchenko stressed that in Lviv, as in other cities across the country, the number of instances of dangerous driver behaviour is increasing. Drifting on roads, car parks and residential courtyards, street racing and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs pose a direct threat to people’s lives and health.
According to the Patrol Police of Ukraine, in 2025 there were 25,934 road traffic collisions with casualties nationwide. These crashes claimed 3,249 lives and left a further 31,898 people injured. Separately, 643 collisions caused by drivers under the influence were recorded, in which 73 people were killed and 857 injured. In total, over the past year law enforcement officers drew up 138,047 administrative reports for driving vehicles under the influence.
Councillors note that current legislation does not provide for separate liability specifically for such actions as drifting, street racing or taking part in illegal street races, which complicates rapid response to such offences.
In its appeal to central government bodies, Lviv City Council proposes that a number of legislative changes be considered, in particular:
- introducing separate liability for deliberate dangerous driving, drifting and illegal street racing;
- providing for tougher sanctions for such offences, including disqualification from driving, temporary seizure and confiscation of the vehicle;
- toughening liability for repeat or systematic driving under the influence;
- increasing penalties for drivers who continue to drive after being disqualified;
- considering the possibility of confiscating a vehicle in cases of systematic driving without the appropriate entitlement;
- toughening liability for the most dangerous breaches of the Highway Code – significant speeding, running red lights, ignoring road signs and markings, failing to give way to pedestrians, and so on.
During the discussion, Tetyana Shevchenko drew attention to the particular vulnerability of teenagers and young people to risky behaviour behind the wheel.
“If you look at the statistics on road tragedies involving teenagers, they are shocking. Only recently I witnessed one group of young people driving along the road taking photos, while another group was racing. We all remember the horrific crash in Brody in which young women were killed. It is terrifying, because we are talking about young people who could have lived, worked, served, had children and paid taxes. That is why we need to increase liability for these races and for driving under the influence, by raising fines, confiscating cars and driving licences, and even imposing custodial sentences” — Tetyana Shevchenko
The appeal emphasises that clear rules and more tangible sanctions for the most dangerous offences should help reduce the number of collisions and make the urban environment safer for both drivers and pedestrians.