Police nab 52 for drunk driving, including foreigners, over the long holiday weekend

Municipal police say they made 52 drunk-driving arrests over the four-day holiday weekend. Most of the arrests came during breathalyzer checks on Calle Larga, 12 de Abril and Remigio Crespo.

A Saturday night traffic stop on 12 de Abril.

Four of the arrests were of foreign citizens, two of legal residents.

Penalties are steep for driving under the influence, the result of a government campaign to curb what it calls an “epidemic” of drunk driving. Drivers apprehended with a blood alcohol level of 0.3 to 0.8 grams are fined $366 and jailed for five days. Those with a 0.8 to 1.2 blood alcohol level are fined $1,098 and jailed for 30 days.

Police said that aggressive traffic enforcement during Cuenca’s Foundation holidays was responsible for keeping accidents below average for the period.

In addition to DUI arrests, road blocks resulted in dozens of arrests for improper documentation, taxis not using taxi meters, and informal transport.