Tashkent Police Detain Unlicensed 17-Year-Old Driver

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Internal affairs officers in Tashkent identified a 17-year-old teenager who performed dangerous maneuvers in a rented vehicle without a driver's license. The vehicle was impounded, according to the Road Safety Service of the Department of Public Safety of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The inspection was prompted by a video of dangerous driving that circulated on social media. The teenager stated that he rented the vehicle and carried out risky maneuvers, including in the Mirzo Ulugbek district along the road toward the TTZ residential area.

Road patrol officers identified him following the publication of the video. According to the teenager, he did not possess a driver's license or vehicle registration documents.

"I am 17 years old. I drove like that simply out of curiosity," he said, adding that although his face and the vehicle's license plate were not visible in the footage, law enforcement officers were able to identify him.

An administrative report was drawn up against the teenager under Article 128-10 of Uzbekistan's Code of Administrative Responsibility, which establishes liability for road hooliganism. According to information provided by the Road Safety Service, the article carries a penalty of a fine equal to 50 basic calculation units or administrative arrest for up to 15 days.

The vehicle was sent to an impound lot for temporary storage.

Gazeta previously reported that following an incident in which a schoolchild struck a road patrol officer and the arrest of a tuning studio owner, the Road Safety Service identified 107 videos on social media exhibiting signs of road hooliganism.

At that time, 62 vehicles were impounded, while another 5,919 vehicles were impounded for severe traffic violations. The Road Safety Service also stated its intention to block accounts promoting dangerous driving.