EU country seizes vehicles from drunk drivers and sends them to Ukraine
Over 200 vehicles were impounded within the first two months of the law's enactment, such was its success.
An EU country has come up with a novel way to tackle drunk driving and help provide vital equipment to Ukraine's army at the same time.
Last year Latvia's parliament passed new legislation allowing police to confiscate vehicles from drunk drivers.
Police can now impound any vehicle whose driver is found to have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over 0.15, which is three times above the legal limit.
Over 200 vehicles were impounded within the first two month's of the law's enactment, such was its success.
Faced with a surplus of confiscated cars, authorities took a bold and unusual step that has proved to be of immense benefit to its close ally Ukraine.
Officials decided to donate the vehicles to Ukraine, where they could be put to use in helping troops move around the frontlines and saving lives.
The cars are given to the non-profit organisation Agendum, who deliver the vehicles from Latvia to Ukraine.
"Each weekend, we deliver around 30 to 40 cars from Latvia to Ukraine," Agendum's founder Reinis Poznaks explained.
Many of these vehicles are turned into ambulances to transport the injured, while others are used by the military on the front lines or for general logistics.
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Agendum believes that each vehicle donated can save between 10 and 100 lives.
"There is a high demand for 4x4 vehicles capable of driving off-road and fast, ideally pick-up trucks.
There are also needs for refrigerated trucks for the fallen heroes, mid-size trucks, and other items," the group said.
Volunteer drivers take the vehicles twice a week to Ukraine, sometimes covering up to 1,200 miles.
Last year Latvia's then Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš explained to European Pravda how the government came to its decision to donate the confiscated cars.
"We had a problem: what to do with the cars that are accumulating," he said.
"Then my finance minister says: 'Why don't we donate them to the Ukrainian army?' Then we got in touch. It turns out that there is an interest.
"We're sending not just any car, the best cars, the ones that you really want to need."
He added: "So I jokingly say that our society is 100 percent supporting Ukraine. Even the people who drink and drive are supporting Ukraine."
