Jalisco’s Salvando Vidas (Saving Lives) campaign to keep drunk drivers off the road appeared in the lakeside area for the second weekend in a row, with checkpoints set up Saturday, August 12 and Sunday, August 13 on the outskirts of Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos.
Over the two-day period, a team of traffic police applied 4,509 breathalyzers tests to passing motorists, according to statistics reported by the Jalisco Traffic Department (Secretaria de Movilidad or SeMov). In the process, officers detained 71 drivers whose alcohol levels tested above the legal limits defined in state law.
As occurred at DUI traps set up locally the previous Sunday, overly intoxicated drivers were put under administrative arrest and hauled off to La Curva detention center in Zapopan, where they can be held for up to 36 hours while sobering up. Their vehicles were confiscated and towed to the metro area’s pound.
During the latest operations, officers also issued 54 tickets for various traffic violations, although it was not specified how many infractions involved motorists who tested at low levels of intoxication.
Salvando Vidas roadside spot checks are run under an established protocol detailing the procedures officers are obligated to follow. Complaints regarding deviations from the protocol are handled through SeMov’s Department of Internal Affairs.
Motorists approaching the DUI checkpoints will notice that some vehicles are waved through to proceed to their intended destinations, while others – selected completely at random – are directed to pull over to undergo the breathalyzer exams. Submitting to the test is not optional. Drivers who refuse are detained on the spot.
Each person being tested blows into a digital breathalyzer apparatus equipped with a single-use disposable mouthpiece. His or her alcohol level appears on the gadget’s screen.
With a register under 0.25 milligrams per liter of exhaled air, the driver is free to continue travel. Testing in the range of 0.25-0.40 mg/lit is motive for issuance of a traffic ticket. The sliding scale of fines is based on the going minimum wage, which at the current rate could run from 12,000 to 16,000 pesos, cut to half the amount if paid within ten working days.
Drivers caught at higher levels are punished with lock up in the Curva drunk tank, along with towing and impoundment fees and time-consuming red tape procedures to retrieve their vehicles. Repeat offenders may lose their licenses.
Mexico does not have a national DUI standard. Jalisco is among 17 states throughout the country to have implemented tough legislation to sanction drunk drivers and reduce the incidence of highway deaths. The permissible limits for driving under the influence are comparable to those applied in the United States, Canada and many European nations.
Salvando Vidas mobile units may be mounted at any time and place, at the discretion of SeMov authorities. Dates and locations are never announced in advance. The Lake Chapala area has apparently been singled out of late due to the large number of weekend visitors who tend to imbibe alcohol in excess, provoking frequent highway accidents.
SeMov officers may also apply breath tests to motorists stopped for any traffic violation if they display signs of alcohol or drug intoxication. Blood analysis may be employed in lieu of the breathalyzer exams in the case of accidents.
Individual physical and behavioral factors can determine how much alcohol a person can safely ingest before getting behind the wheel. To roughly gauge one’s tendency for tolerance according to weight and gender, try out the online calculator found at www.test.cij.gob.mx/jovenesenaccion/Alcoholimetro.html.
The bottom line for lakesiders: Driving after downing more than a single beer, glass of wine or hard drink puts you at risk of getting snared for a DUI offense.