Brazil: After New Law, Drunk Driving Incidents Fall 30% in Brasília

On January 25, 2013, G1 reported that the number of drunk drivers fell in Brazil’s Federal District after the passage of the Lei Seca (Dry Law) in December of 2012.  Police conducted an operation between December 21, 2012 and January 20, 2013, in which they stopped 3,000 motorists in Brasília.  Just 140 of those drivers were arrested for drunk driving, representing just 4% of those stopped.  During the same time period last year, the figures were closer to 10%.  Pieces of the new law include a raising the fine to nearly R$2,000, as well as the use of video evidence and testimonies to determine drunkenness, in case the motorist refuses the breathalyzer test.  Read Article