Police to handle all regarding driving ban from June 1

All matters related to issuance of a driving ban will be dealt by the police as of 1 June 2019 when amendments to the Driving Licence Act and the Act on the Imposition of a Fine and Summary Penal fee (Fine Procedure Act) will enter into force, said an official press release.

At that point, issuing a driving ban for drunk driving, driving while seriously intoxicated, causing a serious traffic hazard and an offence involving the transport of hazardous materials will be added to the authority of the police.

”The police receive approximately 17,000 new driving ban cases for decision a year”, said Superintendent Iina Hyvärinen from the National Police Board.

The right to drive will be considered in a separate criminal procedure, following the issuing of the outcome of the investigation relating to the alleged offence in question. The driver can be already reserved the right to be heard in the driving ban case during pre-trial investigation.

The driving ban decision can be sent to the driver by mail, if the driver is in a temporary driving ban when the driving ban decision is made or has no right to drive for some other reason.

Changes will also be made to filing an appeal against the driving ban decision. It is possible to lodge a complaint about the driving ban decision to the police or the decision awarded for a claim by lodging an appeal with the Administrative Court.

According to Konsta Arvelin, Chief Superintendent of the National Police Board, after amendments to the Fine Procedure Act, the police can process a simple, straightforward drunk driving case through the fine procedure by issuing a request for fine to the suspect, which will finally be decided upon by the prosecutor.

In addition, the suspect’s consent in the fine procedure will change. As of 1 June 2019, the suspect’s consent will comprise the suspect waiving their right to an oral hearing at court and agreeing on a decision about the criminal case in a procedure complying with the Fine Procedure Act.