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Peru: Drunken drivers will go to jail

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

From now on, those driving a vehicle while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs will be punished with six months to two years in prison, even if they do not cause an accident.

Meanwhile, if the driver runs over and causes the death of several persons, the penalty increases to eight years imprisonment, as well as with the revoking of the driver's license.

The new law (published today in the the official gazette “El Peruano”) establishes that the penalty will be applied when the alcohol level in blood exceeds 0.5 grams per liter (for private transport drivers) or more than 0.25 grams in the case  of public transportation, passengers, cargo or general cargo.

The law also determines that the drivers who present resistance to the authority or that refuse to undergo any test done to determine their levels of alcohol will also be punished with jail time for not less than six months nor more than four years.

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# Viracocha says :
19 November, 2009 [ 20:58 ]

Hola todos,

Good move for public safety...well done...sincerely said.

Also, now new prisons will have to built to cope with an already "bulging at the seams" prison system (based on recent news in LIP about releasing some prsioners with electronic locating tags, to reduce overcrowding of existing prisons)....and the construction of new prsions will create more employment....double benefit.

This part was interesting...."Meanwhile, if the driver runs over and causes the death of several persons, the penalty increases to eight years imprisonment, as well as with the revoking of the driver's license."

....... proven culpable driving/manslaughter should be a minimum of eight years,and in this case as I've highlighted in bold...would have been better to say 8 years per person....would carry more weight, I think, anyway.

Chau por ahora,

# willy brown says :
20 November, 2009 [ 09:31 ]

joke mate no one will go to jail, just pay police a few dollars and itll dissapear, anything can be bought in peru

# jb says :
20 November, 2009 [ 10:32 ]

Like I said before, INPE had better start building a lot more prisons.

# JC says :
20 November, 2009 [ 12:13 ]

We need some Serpico-like policemen here and a new and modern mega prision.

# Terri says :
20 November, 2009 [ 15:41 ]

Peru ought to learn to enforce existing rules of the road. 

The current admistration must be sucking up with new rules for money from IMF, UN or America.

# Splaktar says :
20 November, 2009 [ 15:46 ]

0.5 ? grams per liter?  that's crazy drunk!

"Unless a person has developed a high tolerance for alcohol, a BAC rating of 0.20% represents very serious intoxication (most first-time drinkers would be unconscious by about 0.15%), and 0.35%–0.40% represents potentially fatal alcohol poisoning.^[1] 0.40% is the accepted LD₅₀, the dose that is lethal for 50% of adult humans.^[2] There have been cases of people remaining conscious at BACs above 0.40%^[3], as is standard for a level which is fatal for only 50% of the population."

The problem is what police will have these breathalizers? Most don't have radars for speed. Is Peru really going to be purchasing 100,000+ breathalizers? Which company is making a huge profit for supplying such a large quantity?

Just because there is a law against it does not mean that any police will actually be equipped to enforce the law (or even educated to enforce it - both as to its existance and as to the usage of the breathalizers).

# JB says :
20 November, 2009 [ 19:21 ]

Peru is slow to do much as well as I can see it.The BIG plan for judgement for drunk driving is a great plan.In the States about 20 years ago we had the wake up call with only good results.Repeat offenders are always there.The states raked in millions of dollars each year,and it is also a good business.Drunk clients actually helped pay for prisions,and the county benifits well from the drunks who do this.Work release programs are especially good for first time offenders who learn their lesson fast and hate prison.
In Peru I reccomend a BAC level in the higher level and the penalty to be lower for their fines.Required work in the future to pay off the fines,interest free.
Your new prisons should not be cement buildings like in the United tates.You need the barbed wire fenceing like the US uses to house the alledged terriorist prisioners in Cuba.They are afforable.

# Barnney Fife says :
22 November, 2009 [ 05:46 ]

If, the driver is suspected to be under influance, they are taken to a hospital for a blood test.   when there are police operations such as a roadblock check point or an accident that the driver cant get away, they can make on the spot check of influance, smelling the booze  or in Lima the police have an effictive trick of sticking their finger in the nose and taste if there is other influance in suspects nose.

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