New Ley de Tránsito
Reason For Reduced
Holiday Drunk Driving
Although partying and
drinking during the
holiday has not dropped,
drinking and driving
has, says Huanelge
Gutiérrez, the
subdirector of the
Policía de Tránsito, and
all thanks to the new
Ley de Tránsito which
went into effect last
week.
According to information
by the Policía de
Tránsito, in the first
four days of the new
law, 42 drivers were
found drunk (more than
0.75 blood alcohol
content) and processed
through the penal
courts.
In comparison, the
Policía de Tránsito last
year was detaining on
average 23 drunk drivers
daily during the
Christmas holidays.
The reason for the big
difference? Drunk
drivers now go directly
to jail. They do not
stop to pay the fine or
chat up the traffic
official.
The new Ley de Tránsito
does not stipulate a
fine for a driver over
the limit, simply the
driver is detained and
handed over to the
criminal courts for
processing, where they
face a possible jail
term of one to three
years. In addition, the
vehicle is confiscated
and drivers license
suspended, as drunk
driving calls for 50
demerit points which
results in a suspension
of 2 years for the first
offence.
Although the new Ley de
Tránsito goes into full
effect in nine months,
authorities began
enacting the "criminal"
provisions against drunk
drivers the same day the
law was published in the
official government
publication, La Gaceta,
on Tuesday 23 December.
In addition to drunk
drivers, speeders over
150 Km/h and street
races face the same
consequences.
Gutiérrez added that in
addition to the lesser
number of drunk drivers,
there are so far no
traffic fatalities by
drunk drivers.
Gutiérrez is firmly
convinced that if the
brakes were no applied
to the problem of
drinking and driving
this year the death toll
would have been much
higher than last year.
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