The Ministry of the Interior will promote a legal reform to lower the blood alcohol level to 0.2 grams per liter for all drivers and up to 0.10 milligrams of exhaled airunderstanding that “Spanish society is mature” enough to accept this change and further reduce road accidents.
The announcement was made this Thursday by the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska. Sources from the Ministry of the Interior have explained that The intention is thatassuming the proposal of the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), Article 20 of the General Traffic Regulations is amended.
If the measure is approved, the maximum permitted rate in Spain would go from 0.5 grams of alcohol per litre in the blood to 0.2, while the limit for exhaled air would be reduced to 0.25 milligrams of alcohol. per liter at 0.10.
This means that, if the amendment is approved, both men and women would exceed the legal alcohol limit for driving on Spanish streets if they drink a 33cl bottle of beer.
PROTECTION OF VULNERABLE
In June, the measure of a reduction was already proposed, but for new and professional drivers. The aforementioned official sources from the Interior Ministry They point out that the aim is to extend it to all drivers by changing the royal decree to “improve protection for vulnerable road users” such as motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.
At a breakfast briefing in Madrid, Grande-Marlaska said that the Interior Ministry is responding to the requests of associations affected by “road violence”, which has left 241 dead in the balance sheet of this past summer. “In more than half of the accidents, alcohol or drugs appear as a determining factor”
he stressed to justify the measure.
For this reason, he has expressed his support for “addressing the debate” that includes both the reduction of alcohol rates and voluntary courses to recover points on the license.
COMPARISON WITH EU COUNTRIES
Big-Marlaska has taken stock of the gradual reduction in road deaths since the points-based driving licence was introduced, with a current level of 36 deaths per million inhabitants. compared to the EU average of 47 deaths. The challenge now, he said, is to match countries like Sweden, Denmark and Germany.
To this end, the National Road Safety Observatory is studying and assessing this proposal, which it is comparing with various international experiences, according to the cited sources.
Within the European Union, There are already three countries that have set the maximum blood alcohol level at 0.2 grams.
per litre: Sweden, Poland and Estonia –Norway, without being part of the EU, it is also a reference in this regard–. In addition, there are Four other countries have already set a 0.0 blood test rate: Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Romania.
The rest of European countries, including Spain, France and Germany, have a maximum permitted rate in blood of 0.5 grams for drivers in general (there are differences for novices and professionals), except for Lithuania, which sets it at 0.4.
FUENTE: EUROPA PRESS
