Drivers Caught Smoking While Driving Will Face Fines of Seven Times the Minimum Wage

The National Assembly of Armenia has adopted in the first reading a draft law presented by the government, which proposes to impose a penalty of one violation point not only for public transport and taxis but also for private vehicle drivers who smoke while driving.

The draft law, titled "On Amendments and Additions to the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Armenia," was passed in the Assembly with 79 votes in favor, 1 against, and 1 abstention. During the presentation of the draft at the Assembly session, Deputy Chief of Police Ara Fidanyan noted that the proposal includes a responsibility for individuals driving without a license for engaging in such acts. This means that for violations that previously only resulted in a loss of driving privileges, those without a license would now face administrative penalties in the form of fines.

In addition to public transport vehicles and taxis, a penalty point will also be applied for private car drivers smoking while driving. Thus, it is stipulated that the use of tobacco products or substitutes while driving will result in a fine equivalent to seven times the established minimum wage, along with a penalty point of 1.

The legislation will clearly designate that until July 1, 2022, penalty points will only be applied for traffic violations detected by video and photo equipment.