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 The Police report 8,904 DUI tests were performed on drivers, of which 16.3% resulted positive. - Ministry of Transport photo -  |
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Published
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
During the first five months of the year, between January and May, 1,453 drivers tested positive on the Driving Under Influence test (DUI), according to statistics from the Traffic Police. The Police report that during that period, 8,904 DUI tests were performed on drivers, of which 16.3% resulted positive. Drivers charged with DUI fall into two categories. Those who exceed the maximum allowed limits, resulting in jail and facing criminal charges. And those who reported below the maximum alcohol limit and only pay a fine. Of the total of registered cases, the vast majority, 1,074 were drivers who exceeded the maximum level of alcohol allowed by the law. They were taken to the cells of the Public Ministry, to face a criminal case for the alleged crime of drunk driving. And 174 of the drivers did not exceed the maximum levels of alcohol but they had to pay a fine of about $500 plus a penalty of 6 points on the driver's license. The remaining positive DUI drivers didn't receive a fine due to the low level of alcohol in their system, the police said in its report. In Costa Rica, there are three main levels of alcohol for drivers according to the Traffic Law. The highest level allowed is approximately 0.38 milligrams of alcohol or more. With this result, the driver will be taken to the cells of the ministry with a criminal charge, must pay a fine of about $500 and receive the penalty of 6 points on the license. When a driver is penalized with 6 points or more on the driver's license, the person must take the driving test again to renew their driving license. The second level is approximately between 0.10 and 0.37 milligrams of alcohol detected in the test. In this case, the driver will not be taken to the cells but must pay the same fine plus the 6 points penalty. The third level is for drivers with less than 0.10 milligrams of alcohol detected. In this case, the law does not establish any punishment. Recently a case of drunk driving arrest made headlines. It was the case of Congress Deputy Mario Castillo.  After the scandal, Deputy Castillo, a representative of the current government party Citizen Action Party (PAC), announced his resignation from the legislative immunity right to proceed with the investigation for having been arrested for allegedly drunk driving. Parliamentary immunity, also known as legislative immunity, is a system in which members of the parliament or legislature are granted partial immunity from prosecution.  The controversial case began when Castillo was driving his car to his house located in Cartago Province. He lost control of the car while allegedly drunk and crashed into an electricity service utility pole. The deputy was arrested and taken to the Public Ministry for alleged suspicion of drunk driving. After the arrest, Castillo posted on his social media the letter he sent to Congress announcing his decision to renounce his immunity. He apologized to Costa Ricans for this incident because of his reckless decision to drive after drinking alcoholic beverages. A video of Castillo’s accident was posted by the local news channel TV Cartago on their social media. -------------------- What is the penalty in your country for a drunk driver? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com Professional's
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