Six Heroes Attempted to Prove That Kurzeme Highways Are Better Than Riga Streets

Last night, Latvia's roads became an experimental testing ground where six enterprising drivers decided to check whether alcohol really impairs reaction time or if it's just a myth. Unfortunately, police proved skeptical of such a scientific approach.

Most experimenters turned out to be in Zemgale — two brave researchers. One enthusiast was found in each other region, as if there had been a secret agreement to distribute the experiment across Latvia. One Vidzeme scientist even decided to test the effect of narcotics on driving — apparently alcohol seemed too simple.

"Well, I was just driving from Karosta to downtown," one experimenter from the Liepāja area reportedly said. "In Riga they drive worse than me every day, and nobody says anything to them!"

Police, being unexpectedly pedantic, initiated five criminal proceedings and two administrative processes. In one case they'll even confiscate the car, which seems too harsh — well, the person was just trying to assess their superpowers! Meanwhile, 151 speeders proved that driving sober is much more dangerous than driving drunk.

It should be noted that since November 2022, 1.5 promille can get you criminal charges, which is quite unexpected for those who thought alcohol improves driving skills. But good thing there are now clear rules — no more of that unclear "a little bit is okay" period.