21 Drunk Drivers In
First Day of Palmares
Palmares is the centre
of attention in the
country as the 12 day
annual festival -
perhaps the best of all
seasonal festivals -
kicked off on Thursday
with Tope.
Palmares is also the
centre of attention for
the Policía de Tránsito
as they attempt to curb
drinking and driving
that has become a custom
during the festival.
Following the Tope in
Palmares on Thursday, 21
drunk drivers were
pulled off the road and
had to make their way
home without their
vehicles and a fine of
¢26.000 colones (us$52).
With 11 more days to go,
Tránsito officials are
not sure they can reduce
the numbers this year
from 60 drunk drivers
during last year's
festivities.
Drunk drivers have
become a menace on Costa
Rican roads, being the
number one case of the
majority of traffic
accidents.
Currently, aside from
confiscating the vehicle
and a fine, a traffic
court can suspend a
drivers license for up
to six months. However,
that is no deterrent, as
the fine for driving
without a drivers
license is only ¢20.000
colones.
One of the drunk drivers
pulled from the road
Thursday night was so
drunk that he was
stumbling so bad that he
practically knocked over
the tent that Tránsito
officials have erected
at their post at the
Naranjo toll booths when
he stepped out of his
luxurious Mercedes Benz.
In addition to drunk
drivers, Tránsito
officials also detected
a number of drivers that
were driving under the
influence of drugs.
The Policía de Tránsito
reports include cases of
attempted bribery,
including one from a
driver who claimed to be
a judge in the United
States, while many
others covered their
faces from the
television cameras.
In any event, they all
walked home, some having
to wait up to an hour
for the bus back to San
José after handing over
the keys to their
vehicles.
Karla González, ministra
de Obras Públicas y
Transportes (MOPT) was
on hand during part of
the evening to raise
public conscionce of the
situation and providing
moral support to her
Tránsito officials.
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