Zorana Mihajlovic, Serbia’s deputy prime minister and traffic minister, announced on Monday that people under the age of 21 will soon be banned from driving between 11pm and 6am and will not be allowed to drive after drinking.

“There will be new bans, stricter penalties, zero tolerance on alcohol use, but we will also put our efforts into education and prevention,” Mihajlovic told Serbian public broadcaster RTS.

The initiative comes after three people aged 16, 18 and 20 drowned when their vehicle fell into the Danube in Belgrade on Saturday morning.

The other three people in the car, including the 19-year-old driver, managed to get free and swim to safety. The driver, who was driving drunk and did not have a license, was arrested and will remain in custody.

Mihajlovic said that her ministry will prepare amendments to the Laws on Traffic Safety within seven days, and the new rules should come into force on January 1.

“The amendments must be sent to the government and then to the parliament in emergency procedure,” she said.

She explained that the also proposes to prohibit people under the age of 21 from driving vehicles with engines larger than 1.4-litres, while those who breach traffic rules while driving a minor in the car will face doubly harsh penalties.