|
|
Vigilia de la Vergüenza
Proposes To Shame Costa Rican Legislators To
Get Tough On Drunk Drivers
The photo of Christopher Lang, the cyclist
killed by a drunk driver on Sunday, was
posted everywhere, including on t-shirts, as
a backdrop to the "Vigilia de la Vergüenza"
(Vigil of Shame) in front of the Legislative
Assembly building in San José.
The objective of the demonstrations is
pressure the Legislative Assembly for a zero
tolerance on drinking and driving, as
legislators prepare for final debate and
voting on the reforms of the Ley de Tránsito.
Hundreds were on hand, most dressed in
white, keeping a silence to remind
legislators of the mortal danger of mixing
alcohol and driving.
Taking part in the vigil were the family of
Lang, who at 31 years of age was struck down
early Sunday morning while taking a break at
a bus stop while cycling on the autopista
Florencio del Castillo .
Legislators voted in first debate to lessen
the sanctions against drunk drivers, taking
away the prison sentence, just a fine, for
first time offenders and when there is no
personal and/or property damage involved.
Also, legislators voted that 0.75 would the
legal limit for violation of the drinking
and driving law, from 0.50.
However, the reforms still have an up hill
climb and the protest was for legislators to
take note of the real life consequences of
their decisions before beginning discussion
and voting on the required second reading.
Thursdays event was organized by the "Aconvivir"
association which brings together sports
enthusiasts, mainly cyclists, against
violence on the roads.
Ramón Pendones, head of the Aconvivir is
adamant that the limit should be kept at
0.50 and not the 0.75 that is being adopted
in the reforms to the law that went into
effect on December 23, 2008.
Pendones said that the higher limits is a
mockery of the law, allowing a person to
take that extra drink or two before getting
behind the wheel of a vehicle.
"We are not here to blame the legsialtores.
We are all to blame because no one has
really done anything to change the
situation. We all have to feel ashamed and
have to think of what we have to do, each
one of us, to correct the problem of what is
going on on our roads", said Pendones.
Although the reforms were approved by a
slight majority, until they are passed in
second vote, signed by Costa Rican
president, Oscar Arias and published in La
Gaceta, the official government newsletter,
the rules of the Ley de Tránsito in effect
apply: anyone found to have a blood alcohol
content of between 0.50 and 0.75, will be
heavily fined and anything over 0.75 will
pass go and straight to jail (actually taken
in custody and remanded to a court where a
judge will decide on the punishment).
The traffic law makes drinking and driving
over the 0.75 limit a criminal offence.
Also in effect until the reforms, if and
when they are passed, is the system of
points and fines of up to ¢293.000 colones
and permanent suspension of the drivers
license if the traffic law is violated. |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
