They added, however, that the ?alcoholimetro? program would be stepped up during all other days of the holiday season.

The suspension of drunk-driving vigilance for Christmas and New Year?s celebrations is a tradition in the capital, where the practice is known as a ?noche libre,? or ?free night.?

And while the idea has its critics, city officials point to statistics to defend the practice. Last Christmas Eve, when drunk drivers were also given a ?free night,? there were three fatal car accidents, and on New Year?s Eve there were two. The average day in the capital sees four fatal accidents, according to the Public Safety Secretariat.

However, city statistics also show that there were 50 reported car accidents in all last Christmas Eve, far more than the daily average of 26.