Senate approves measures towards zero tolerance on drunk drivers

SANTIAGO- The next step has been taken in the campaign towards zero tolerance towards drink drivers in Chile. The Senate voted 15-6 in favor of new laws which will see a change in the legal perception of “under the influence” and “drunkenness”. New equipment for measuring blood alcohol levels will also be introduced.

New laws have passed in the senate aiming to reduce blood alcohol limits and increase punishments for drink driving

The laws still need to pass through the Chamber of Deputies, but it is expected the law will pass without obstruction and be put into effect midway through the year. Minister of Transport and Telecommunications Pedro Pablo Errazuriz  said “this is a significant advance to continue saving lives on our streets and highways”.

Drink driving is a serious problem in Chile. In October 2011, according to tests by the National Service for Alcohol and Drug Prevention and Rehabilitation, more than 50% of those tested had been drinking before driving their cars. While laws exist for heavy punishments including time in jail, law enforcement officials have been criticized for failing to catch and punish many offenders. The new equipment will allow for much faster processing time of blood alcohol levels.

Subsecretary for Transport Gloria Hutt thanked the senators for the approval of the project, saying “the government of President Piñera is a priority to reduce traffic accidents kill daily five Chilean average”.

There was some disapproval recently at the lenient sentence given to Universidad de Chile goalkeeper Jhonny Herrera earlier this month. In 2009, while driving under the influence of alcohol, he hit and killed a girl, aged 22. He received a six month suspension of his license and was ordered to pay the parents US$50,000. He did not receive any time in prison.

One of the senators voting against the project was RN (Renovación Nacional) Senator Francisco Chahuán. He claimed that it the law would be “a radical change in the culture of Chile” and that one “would not be able to drink a glass of wine and then drive home.”