Of those tested at nightly checkpoints, 132 were arrested and spent up to 36 hours at a new detention facility built specifically for drunk drivers, while 60 more have paid fines of up to 13,000 pesos. The arrests included two taxi drivers who were carrying passengers.
Traffic Department Director Mauricio Gudiño said the program has garnered “good results,” despite attempts to warn drivers of the locations of the checkpoints through social media. He said the use of “designated drivers” is increasing and that responsible citizens are looking for other ways to get home after a night out rather than get behind the wheel of their vehicles.
Although greater safety on the streets is a positive step, the new program is affecting others in a negative way. According to Juan Jose Tamayo Davalos, president of the Jalisco Restaurant Chamber (Canirac), sales at restaurants and bars in Guadalajara have dropped by a whopping 40 percent in the past two weeks.
Tamayo said restaurants need to work out their own strategies to provide the means to get their customers home. A campaign to promote the culture of designated drivers is also required, he added.