ARCHIVED - DGT launches Christmas campaign with 20,000 checkpoints across Spain
ARCHIVED ARTICLE
Drivers in Spain face fines of up to 1,000 euros in the lead-up to the festive season
The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has announced the start of its pre-Christmas safety campaign which will run from Monday December 6 until December 12 to coincide with the holiday weekend and the period when most Christmas parties and events are due to take place.
As well as risking a fine for breaking any of the 19 new regulations in the Traffic Law, drivers will be faced with 20,000 daily controls this week, with officers particularly cracking down on drug and alcohol use.
The DGT has highlighted the fact that, last year, alcohol remained the second most common factor in traffic accidents in Spain, only behind distractions such as using a mobile phone. In fact, of the 597 drivers who died on our roads in 2020, almost 49% of them tested positive for alcohol or drugs.
Checkpoints
Officers from the Guardia Civil Traffic Group and the Local Police of any municipality of more than 25,000 inhabitants will join the campaign. Different checkpoints will be set up throughout the week on all types of roads and at any time of the day.
Fines
The DGT will automatically fine any driver 500 euros if their blood alcohol level is between 0.25 mg/l and 0.50 mg/l, in addition to deducting four points from their driving licence.
If the 0.50 mg/l is exceeded, the fine is increased to 1,000 euros and six points will be lost.
Drivers caught with more than 0.60 mg/l through a breathalyser test and 1.2 mg/l in their blood will be charged with a crime against road safety, a serious offence that will result in between three and six months in prison, a fine, and community service work. In addition, the motorist will be banned from driving for four years.
The punishment for testing positive for drugs while driving is 1,000 euros and a deduction of six licence points. However, if a driver is found to have consumed toxic narcotics or psychotropic substances they can be punished with a three to six month prison sentence, a fine and twelve months of community service, in addition to losing their licence for four years.
Any driver refusing to submit to tests risks a prison sentence of up to twelve months and a four year driving ban.
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