Breathalyzers could be reinstated for road safety

Dolores

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A pilot breathalyzer checkpoint will be implemented this Friday, 25 October 2024, from 9pm to 4am in the National District.

The National Institute of Transit and Land Transport (Intrant) and the Traffic and Land Transport Security Agency (Digesett) will once again implement the use of breathalyzers to prevent intoxicated drivers from being on the roads.

Approximately 40 Digesett agents have been trained by an international specialist in the use of Alco-Sensor VXL, Point of Arrest, and Alco-Sensor FST instruments, used to measure blood alcohol levels.

Intrant executive director, Milton Morrison, stated that the implementation of breathalyzers aims to prevent traffic accidents and save lives. Morrison added that this initiative comes at a time when meetings are being held with various stakeholders to agree on a comprehensive National Road Safety...

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SKY

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This from El Nacional a lot more detail:

































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prevent road accidents By Estarlin Canelo October 23, 2024 14:46 | Updated on October 23, 2024 15:30 Intrant and Digesett implement breathalyzers to prevent road accidents Authorities show instruments that they will use to measure blood alcohol levels. external source The National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation (Intrant) and the General Directorate of Traffic and Land Transportation Safety (Digesett) will implement the use of breathalyzers next Friday to detect drivers who drive in a state of intoxication on the roads. The operation includes the training of some 40 Digesett agents, who will be trained by an international specialist in the use of the Alco-Sensor VXL, Point of Arrest and Alco-Sensor FST instruments, used to measure blood alcohol levels. Referring to the issue, the executive director of Intrant, Milton Morrison, indicated that the implementation of breathalyzers seeks to prevent traffic accidents, in order to save lives. Morrison added that this initiative comes at a time when meetings are held with different actors in society to agree on a great National Plan for Road Safety, promoted by President Luis Abinader. You may be interested in reading: Measures announced to reduce traffic accidents in La Otra Banda de Higüey Meanwhile, the director of Digesett, General Francisco Osoria de la Cruz, stated that the main interest is to achieve good results and that they will train their best agents to put them at the service of the citizens. The activation of the breathalyzer checkpoint pilot is scheduled for next Friday, October 25, from 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m., in the National District. The reestablishment of this operation is part of a public-private strategic alliance with the alcoholic beverage industries and the International Alliance for Responsible Consumption (IARD), as well as the collaboration with the Dominican Institute for Quality (Indocal), which will be in charge of calibrating the equipment, so that it remains in optimal conditions. “This is a project that will save the lives of many in the country, and from the beginning the fruits will be seen, and from Indocal we feel committed to guaranteeing the quality of this equipment, with the implementation of a system of verification of the equipment twice a year,” highlighted the director of Indocal, Néstor Julio Matos Ureña. Currently, the country has eight evidential breathalyzers and 32 screening ones, donated by the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD), and the regional and local alcohol beverage industry, which were scheduled to begin being applied in 2018. This project was stopped in 2020, due to the global Covid-19 situation, as a health measure due to the implications of the process. Currently, a technical table is being worked on with Indocal, to guarantee the proper use of the devices, with Digesett for staff training and soon with the Ministry of the Interior and Police, for the creation of a Breathalyzer Unit within the organizational structure of Digeset.
 

Glenn Burke

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The headline says breathalyzers will be "reinstated", were they ever actually used in the past then?
Yes, for a week or two, and then they found out that they bought breathalyzers that don't work properly in this climate and always show wrong results because of a very high humidity.
 
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JD Jones

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The headline says breathalyzers will be "reinstated", were they ever actually used in the past then?

The Dominican Republic has been trying to enforce alcohol testing for 17 years​

Since 2007, authorities have been trying to implement breathalyzer tests to reduce accidents

Reducing traffic accidents and deaths of people driving under the influence of alcohol through the implementation of breathalyzers has been a plan that has not been successful in the Dominican Republic so far.

But the reality is that many of the traffic accidents that occur on Dominican streets and avenues are associated with the consumption of alcohol by drivers. According to studies, in 80% of fatal or non-fatal accidents that occur in this country, alcohol has been present.

To improve these figures, for 17 years the country's authorities have announced, and even implemented, breathalyzer tests, but they always stop halfway.

With the expectation of changing this situation, today Friday begins a new pilot plan to measure the state of intoxication of drivers from 9:00 at night until 4:00 in the morning with equipment donated by the business sector.

In 2007, attempts began

By February 2007, projects for the use of breathalyzers in the country began to be heard and presented. The then Minister of the Interior (secretary at the time), Franklin Almeyda, announced the acquisition of 1,200 breathalyzers and 120 thousand straws to be used in the tests on drivers. The purchase of these was to cost 108,534 dollars.

In fact, it was even reported that along with devices to measure alcohol, the agents of the then Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Amet), were going to use pepper spray as a preventive measure in order to avoid physical friction between agents and drivers. However, this was not maintained or started.

In 2013 for Christmas festivities

Many years passed before trying to measure the state of intoxication of drivers again and, according to records, this was resumed in 2013 when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Amet), today the General Directorate of Traffic Safety and Land Transportation (Digesett) announced the use of breathalyzers again.

For that occasion, it was planned to use them on a pilot basis and then leave it established during the Christmas festivities of that year.

In 2017 breathalyzers are acquired

In 2017 the issue resurfaced. This time, due to the provisions brought about by the promulgation of Law 63-17 on Traffic, Transportation and Road Safety.

In 2017, the former executive director of the National Institute of Traffic and Land Transportation (Intrant), Claudia Franchesca de los Santos, announced that this agency had received 40 breathalyzers to determine the drunkenness of drivers.

As in the other attempts, the Amet agents, now Digesett, were the ones who were going to be responsible for the use of the equipment within the framework of a National Road Safety Plan. That time it was implemented, but it didn't last long.

The equipment that was used in 2017 was a contribution from the International Alliance for Responsible Consumption, and the regional and local liquor industry to Intrant. It was planned to use them at Christmas that year, but Intrant had not delivered them to Digesett and it didn't materialize.

In 2019, Intrant returned

In 2019, the attempt was made again with the programming of another pilot plan that promised to be expanded to the entire country. Since August of that year, breathalyzer tests began in some places in order to educate citizens about driving under the influence of alcohol.

But, months later, the covid-19 pandemic arrived and this was discontinued to avoid contagion of the disease.

In 2024, the Intrant recharges

Starting today, at 9:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m. on Saturday, Digesett agents will once again implement breathalyzers to regulate that drivers do not drive while intoxicated on the roads. It is another plan coordinated by the Intrant.

For these purposes, forty Digesett agents were trained in the use of the Alco-Sensor VXL, Point of Arrest and Alco-Sensor FST instruments, used to measure blood alcohol levels.

What does Law 63-17 say about the degree of alcohol in the blood?

Article 256 of Law 63-17 is the one that prohibits driving while intoxicated and the consumption of alcoholic beverages while drivers are traveling on public roads. Fines from 5 to 10 minimum wages and the reduction of points on the license are established.

Article 258 of the aforementioned regulation states that “it will be considered illegal to drive a motor vehicle on public roads when the blood alcohol level is higher than 0.5 grams per liter (gr/1) in the blood or 0.25 milligrams per liter (mgr/1) in the exhaled air, as resulting from the breathalyzer performed by Digesett agents”.

The paragraph of section 258 also indicates that “in the case of drivers of vehicles intended for public transportation of passengers, in any of its modalities, and of cargo; or are holders of a learning permit, the blood alcohol level must be 0.0 grams of alcohol per liter of blood or 0.0 milligrams per liter (mgr/1) in the exhaled air. Those who drive motorcycles must not drive with more than 0.2 grams of alcohol per liter of blood or 0.1 milligrams per liter (mgr/1) in exhaled air, according to the results of the breathalyzer performed by Digesett agents."

Digesett assures that accidents will decrease


In an interview with CDN, the Director General of Traffic Safety and Land Transportation, Major General Francisco Osoria de la Cruz, assured yesterday that with the implementation of breathalyzers, they will be able to significantly reduce deaths from traffic accidents in the country.

This is because deaths from traffic accidents in the Dominican Republic have reached frightening levels. The implementation of breathalyzers comes in a context in which work is being done on a National Plan for Road Safety, promoted by President Luis Abinader. For this reason, the director of Digesett, General Francisco Osoria de la Cruz, affirmed that the training of its best agents is key to achieving good results in road safety.

 

chicagoan14

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Apr 2, 2019
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So if they find out you are not drunk they send you back to the colmado/bar?
They do not have the resources to deal with the amount of people. I thought it was a bit ridiculous they announced the specific street when they did it during covid. It was a bit counterproductive. They did it in la Churchill in santo domingo.

I think it would be useful for them to do it for cars exiting the colonial zone.
 

JD Jones

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Hold that thought! They won't be doing it anywhere:

The director of Intrant, Milton Morrison, announced that the institution does not have funds to buy breathalyzers, but they will receive devices donated by the Association of Alcoholic Beverage Sellers. This announcement comes after the withdrawal of the Tax Reform project, which will affect the financing of several services. Although similar announcements were made in 2004 and 2017 without concrete results, Intrant assures that now the devices will be available for immediate use, reinforcing Law 63-17 that prohibits driving under the influence of alcohol.

 
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NanSanPedro

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Hold that thought! They won't be doing it anywhere:

The director of Intrant, Milton Morrison, announced that the institution does not have funds to buy breathalyzers, but they will receive devices donated by the Association of Alcoholic Beverage Sellers. This announcement comes after the withdrawal of the Tax Reform project, which will affect the financing of several services. Although similar announcements were made in 2004 and 2017 without concrete results, Intrant assures that now the devices will be available for immediate use, reinforcing Law 63-17 that prohibits driving under the influence of alcohol.

JD, do you know if they have a BAC max?
 
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The Dominican Republic has been trying to enforce alcohol testing for 17 years​

Somehow post #9 reads more like

The Dominican Republic has been trying to derail alcohol testing for 17 years​

 

keepcoming

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Isn't there a device that can be put in someone's car (court ordered) that you have to breath in to and if it detects alcohol the car won't start.
 

melphis

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Another Dominican poorly thought out pipe dream. Seeing as AMET only works the day shift, and only they can enforce traffic laws, and 90% of the drunks are out at night, this should have zero effect on road safety.
But I give them a solid C+ for effort. God these people are morons.
 
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Glenn Burke

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What's the point to detect drunk drivers in the center of Santo Domingo? The traffic is so slow here that the maximum damage that you can get in case of an accident is a fender bender. But there's a lot of highways where you can die in a head on collision because people drive like crazy there, and nobody tries to control anything there.
 
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JLSawmam

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What's the point to detect drunk drivers in the center of Santo Domingo? The traffic is so slow here that the maximum damage that you can get in case of an accident is a fender bender. But there's a lot of highways where you can die in a head on collision because people drive like crazy there, and nobody tries to control anything there.
Stopping them before they get on the highways seems like a good idea. I would think that in most countries, the vast majority of arrests for driving under the influence are made within city limits, not on the highways.