Will Drivers Be Stripped of Their Licenses for Exceeding the Speed Limit by More Than 80 km/h?

In recent days, a message widely circulated on social media, particularly on the Telegram channel “Xokim buva!”, claiming that “Drivers who exceed the speed limit by more than 80 km/h will have their licenses revoked.” The post referred to a draft law currently under consideration by the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and stated that drivers exceeding the speed limit by more than 80 km/h would be deprived of the right to drive and face substantial fines.

The claim sparked widespread discussion among users. Some believed that the proposed measures had already come into force, while others questioned whether the statement about “revoking driver’s licenses” was accurate.

Let’s examine the facts.

The Claim

The Telegram post makes the following key claim:

“Drivers who exceed the speed limit by more than 80 km/h will have their licenses revoked.”

It also states that offenders may face fines of up to 26.8 million Uzbek soums.

What Does the Draft Law Say?

It is true that the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis is considering legislative initiatives aimed at improving road safety and reducing the number of traffic accidents. Lawmakers have repeatedly discussed strengthening penalties for serious traffic violations.

According to the proposals under discussion, excessive speeding is considered one of the most dangerous traffic offenses. Therefore, the draft law proposes:

• imposing significant monetary fines;

• depriving offenders of the right to operate a motor vehicle for a specified period.

Thus, the central message of the post—that authorities are considering tougher penalties for extreme speeding—is accurate.

Why Is the Phrase “Driver’s License Revoked” Misleading?

The main issue with the post lies in its headline.

From a legal perspective, “revocation of a driver’s license” and “deprivation of the right to drive a vehicle” are not the same thing.

Revoking a driver’s license generally implies that the document itself becomes invalid or must be reissued.

Deprivation of the right to drive, on the other hand, means a temporary prohibition on operating a vehicle, imposed by a court or another authorized body. In such cases, the driver’s license may still exist as a valid document, but the holder is temporarily prohibited from using it.

Therefore, the phrase “the driver’s license will be revoked” does not accurately reflect the legal measure proposed in the draft law.

Another Important Point: This Is Not Yet a Law

The publication overlooks another important detail.

The proposal in question is not an existing legal norm but a draft law.

Any draft law must go through several stages before it takes effect: it must be adopted by the Legislative Chamber, approved by the Senate, and signed by the President. Only then does it become legally binding. The mere fact that a proposal is being discussed in Parliament does not mean it has automatically entered into force.

Therefore, claims suggesting that licenses “will now be revoked” or that drivers are already subject to these new penalties are inaccurate.

Why Does This Matter?

Road traffic accidents remain a serious social issue in Uzbekistan. Experts note that excessive speed is one of the leading factors contributing to severe crashes and fatalities.

For this reason, the initiative to increase penalties for significant speeding violations is intended to improve road safety. However, when informing the public about legislative proposals, it is essential to use precise legal terminology. Otherwise, headlines and reports may create a misleading impression of the proposed changes.

Verdict

The fact-check found that the post contains elements that are factually correct. The draft law does indeed propose stricter penalties for exceeding the speed limit by more than 80 km/h.

However:

• the law has not yet been adopted;

• the proposed provisions have not entered into force;

• the draft law does not provide for the revocation of a driver’s license, but rather for the temporary deprivation of the right to operate a motor vehicle.

Therefore, the headline and certain wording used in the publication do not fully or accurately reflect the content of the draft law.

Fact-Check Verdict: MISLEADING.