Vladimir Kuzin also said that traffic enforcement cameras had recorded over 500,000 violations of road rules, mostly speeding, since they were introduced on Russian roads last July.
According to traffic police statistics, there were more than 13,600 car crashes involving drunk drivers in 2008, a drop of 12.7% year-on-year, with over 2,380 people killed and 19,887 injured.
Alcohol was a factor in more than 24% of car crashes in the Southern Siberian republic of Altai, the highest proportion in the country. Next was West Siberia's Nenets autonomous area, where over 22% of crashes involved drunk drivers, the Far Eastern region of Chukotka with more than 16% and the Republic of Buryatia (over 15%).
Kuzin added that 25,000 drivers lost their licenses after being caught driving under the influence of narcotics in 2008.
"The problem is especially acute in the Central Federal District," Kuzin said.
