The City of Buenos Aires prepares the security operation for the New Year celebrations

The City of Buenos Aires will deploy a series of prevention and alcohol control operations in the 15 communes facing the celebrations for the New Year 2025. For its part, both the Police and firefighters will serve 24-hour active duty. In this regard, the head of the Buenos Aires Government, Jorge Macri, explained: “We are going to be inflexible with sanctions as we are in other aspects of compliance with the law. Our plan is to save lives“.

So far in 2024, more than 360,000 breathalyzer tests have been carried out. For its part, on the night of December 24 and early morning of December 25, a festive context similar to the one that will be faced this Tuesday, there were more than 6,000 testswith a total of 61 positive and a positivity rate of 0.99%. In total 64 licenses were retained for a minimum of 2 months.

The City of Buenos Aires prepares the operation for the New Year celebrations

On the last day of 2024, and in advance of the New Year celebrations, the City of Buenos Aires finalizes the details of the alcohol prevention and control operations. In detail, agents and positions will be deployed in the 15 Buenos Aires communes.

“We are going to continue strengthening controls and have more agents and police presence on the streets as we have been doing since the beginning of the administration. We want to reduce the number of deaths in traffic events by 40% over the next three years. We are going to be as inflexible with sanctions as we are in other aspects of law enforcement. Our plan is to save lives,” Macri elaborated on the matter.

For his part, the SAME will work with an expansion of staff in the Operational Center 107 and in the Telemedicine service, the same as the 911 Emergency Line, Civil Defense, Emergency Guard and Line 103. And there will be a greater presence of the members of the Comprehensive Security System in 25 parks and squares of the City to prevent crimes and contraventions. While the police and firefighters will carry out 24-hour active guards.

Lastly, from the Monitoring Center Support will be provided to personnel affected by the service. and staff of the Government Control Agency (AGC) and of Inspection of Public Spaces will verify that Alcohol is not sold in nearby shops or in squares. The City stressed that there is no need to take out garbage on December 31, since collection resumes its usual service on January 1 at night.

More breathalyzer tests for the New Year

According to details from the Buenos Aires government, so far in 2024, more than 360 thousand alcohol controls. In particular, on the night of December 24 and early morning of December 25, more than 6,000 tests were carried out, double that of 2023.

The balance during the holiday was a total of 61 positive controls and a positivity rate of 0.99%. Consequently, 64 licenses were retained for a minimum of 2 months. Besides, Seven people were treated in different public hospitals in the City.

The reinforcement of alcohol controls at strategic points is complemented by tougher penalties for those who drive while drunk: from 2022, people who test positive in a test will have their license taken away for a minimum of two months, and to recover it it is mandatory to perform a road safety workshop.

It should be noted that, in the City of Buenos Aires, the maximum tolerated limit of blood alcohol is 0.5 gr/l for private vehicles, 0.2 gr/l for motorcyclists and 0.0 gr/l for beginners and professional drivers.

Step by step of alcohol control

The Buenos Aires government also recalled the step-by-step process for a blood alcohol test, in order to speed up the process during the New Year. In detail, once the driver is stopped, the following will be done:

• Verification of documentation (driver’s license, green card, insurance).
• Examination with allometer-type equipment (to determine if there is the presence of alcohol).
• Those who test positive in the allometry test are given a breathalyzer test to determine the dosage.

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In CABA, the maximum tolerated limit of blood alcohol is 0.5 gr/l for private vehicles, 0.2 gr/l for motorcyclists and 0.0 gr/l for beginners and professional drivers.

GCBA

If tested positive, the driver will be disqualified for a minimum of two months. Additionally, depending on the dosage returned, the following sanctions are implemented:

• Between 0.5 gr/l and 1 gr/l: establishes a fine of $94,530 to $630,200 and license disqualification (2 to 4 months). If you pass the driver’s education course, the period is reduced by half for the first offense. Vehicle transportation and driver’s license retention are maintained.
• From 1 gr/l onwards: the fine is established from $189,060 to $1,260,400 either 1 to 10 days of arrest. License disqualification always applied (4 months to 2 years). For the first violation, the disqualification period can be reduced by half if the road safety course is approved.