Zelensky announced tougher liability for systematic traffic violations

A meeting of the National Security and Defense Council dedicated to road safety will be held in Ukraine in the near future. Among the issues to be considered is the strengthening of liability for drivers who systematically violate traffic rules.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this on August 17. The head of state has not yet announced a specific date for the meeting or the list of possible sanctions for violators.

The decision is also related to the petition "Stop systematic traffic violators: road mortality should become a matter for the NSDC." It was registered by Oleksiy Glushych, a serviceman of the 2nd Corps of the National Guard "Khartia," whose 12-year-old son Hryhoriy died in a high-profile accident near Karavayevi Dachi in Kyiv on June 5.

The petition gathered more than 26,000 votes, with 25,000 required. Its author proposed creating a mechanism to influence drivers who regularly violate traffic rules, including the possibility of temporary revocation of the right to drive. Other proposals include expanding automatic recording of violations and strengthening liability for gross violations of the rules.

The initiative was prompted by the June 5 accident in which four people died—a 12-year-old child, a woman, and two police officers. Three others were injured. According to information cited in the petition with reference to investigation data, the driver connected with the accident had previously been held liable 39 times for traffic violations, mostly for speeding.

The appeal also cites Patrol Police data: in 2025, 3,249 people died in road accidents in Ukraine, and another 31,898 were injured. From 2022 to 2025, 678 children died on Ukrainian roads.

Zelensky officially responded to the petition on August 6. The president reported that he had asked NSDC Secretary Ihor Klymenko and the prime minister to comprehensively address the issue. Now the head of state has confirmed that the road safety problem will be brought directly to the NSDC meeting.

Specific changes to fines, the procedure for revoking driving licenses, or other new sanctions have not yet been approved. Their parameters may be determined after the issue is considered and appropriate legislative and regulatory decisions are prepared.

Based on materials from: Volodymyr Zelensky, Office of the President of Ukraine