- Published: Thursday, January 16, 2020-
More than 2,000 drunk drivers arrested in 2019
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Ministry of Transportation reported Wednesday that 2,138 drivers were arrested during 2019 for alleged drunk driving.
According to the ministry report, all the arrested drivers showed positive for the high consumption of liquor in the breathalyzer tests carried out by the Traffic Police.
The number of detainees in the past year represents 72 cases more than in 2018, which is a 3.5% increase.
According to the statistics of the Traffic Police, last year 30 people died in traffic accidents linked to drunk driving, eight more deaths compared to 2018.
The police reported having made 17,545 breathalyzer tests, of which 296 drivers resulted positive, but with alcohol levels within the legal parameters.
In the case of a driver with alcohol levels above the maximum allowed, officers apply a fine of $ 560 plus six negative points on the driver's license.
In that case, the driver must take the driving course again to be able to renew the license. Also, the drunk driver is taken to the cells of the Public Ministry where he must face an indictment made by the Traffic Police.
The Red Cross reported attending 496,780 emergency calls for traffic accidents, water accidents, crimes, and family violence, among others in which, 1,341 people died in 2019.
According to the report, most of the deaths, 454, were related to vehicle accidents.
The Ministry of Public Transport reported that the leading cause of death on the roads remains the unsafe maneuvering by the driver. The second cause of death is the invasion of the opposite lane. The third cause of death is high speed. And the fourth cause is drunk driving.
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