La Laguna Police: Drug Driving Exceeds Alcohol Offenses In Holiday Checks
La Laguna Local Police's pre-Christmas road safety campaign uncovered nearly 200 violations, notably catching more drivers under the influence of drugs than alcohol, alongside other offenses like driving without insurance or valid inspections.
The La Laguna Local Police's Accident Investigation Group recently concluded a road safety campaign held before Christmas and New Year's Eve. During this period, they uncovered nearly 200 violations, which included both administrative and criminal offenses. These ranged from driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and possessing illegal narcotics, to driving without mandatory insurance, failing vehicle inspections (ITV), or having a driver's license with no points left.
A notable discovery from the roadside checks was that police caught more drivers under the influence of drugs than alcohol.
Officers conducted 81 drug tests, with 68 of them (84%) returning a positive result. All these positive cases led to administrative fines.
These controls took place between December 5th and 28th in various parts of the municipality, including urban areas, Taco, and Guamasa. In total, about a dozen inspections of vehicles and individuals were carried out.
Most of these operations occurred between 7 PM and 3 AM, though some checks were also conducted in the afternoon, lasting until 10 PM.
The main goal of these actions was to prevent road accidents, particularly after evening celebrations, meals, or company gatherings.
Regarding alcohol-related offenses, 65 reports were issued for drunk driving. Fifty-seven of these resulted in administrative fines, while the remaining eight cases were sent to court. The drivers sent to court had alcohol levels exceeding 0.60 milligrams per liter of breath.
Additionally, five drivers were reported for not having a vehicle registration permit, and two others refused to take breathalyzer tests.
Officers also issued 45 reports for other offenses, such as driving a vehicle without a valid vehicle inspection (ITV), without mandatory insurance, or using a mobile phone while driving.