Watch out for DUI checkpoints in Mérida through Christmas and New Year’s. Photo: File
Mérida, Yucatán — Police vow zero tolerance for drunk driving this holiday season. And they have doubled their supply of breathalyzers to enforce the law.
Checkpoints will be in place through Jan. 7 for this year, said Commander Jesus Novelo Chan of the Ministry of Public Security. Expect police to be positioned along busy roads, including the Periférico and its on- and off-ramps.
Driving under the influence of alcohol results in the following, depending on how a driver registers on the breathalyzer:
From 0 to 59 degree, the driver is given a warning and allowed to continue.
From 60 to 79 degrees, the driver receives an infraction ticket and another person has to drive the vehicle home.
At 80 degrees or over, the driver is arrested, held for up to 36 hours, and fined 90 to 100 days’ minimum wage.
The commander said that on average there are between 30 and 40 DUI arrests every weekend.
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