Officers with breathalyzers will be on duty every night until January 6, from 6 p.m. until 4 a.m., with the aim of reducing the number of accidents caused by inebriated drivers.
Traffic cops are only permitted to stop and test those who commit a traffic infraction, but this could include driving without a seat belt or license plate. The legal limit for driving in Guadalajara is 200 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood.
An initiative of state Transportation Secretary Diego Monraz Villaseñor, the alcohol meters will also be appearing in Puerto Vallarta, Cihuatlan, Mazamitla, Tapalpa and Chapala. Monraz suggested that people who want to drink throughout the festive period should take a taxi or utilise the ten metro-area night bus routes that operate from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m.It was also announced last week that the state Congress has approved an amendment to Article 48 of the Jalisco Penal Code, increasing by one year the minimum penalty for intoxicated drivers who cause death to others.
The current sentence of three to ten years will now be extended to a minimum of four years. “The idea is to strengthen the law and avoid alcohol consumption and road accidents,” said Senator Jesus Romero Casillas of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).