Alex Trelinski
THE Guardia Civil launches its annual pre-Christmas campaign from Monday to stop motorists from getting behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Checkpoints will be established at any time of the day and on any road according to the Guardia.
Local police forces have also been invited to join the campaign- especially to carry out checks close to bars and restaurants.
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The initiative is in addition to an appeal launched by Spain’s DGT traffic authority where people are urged to transfer the Christmas spirit to the roads and, therefore, always drive as ‘if you were carrying were safely carrying the main course of Christmas dinner’.
The campaign also aims to raise awareness of those drivers who though not above the maximum permitted alcohol rate, still get behind the wheel after having had a drink.
Alcohol is one of the main factors behind in traffic accidents, as stated in the 2023 Report on Toxicological Findings in Traffic Accident Victims prepared by the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences.
That is a major reason why the Guardia Civil will intensify its checks as excess alcohol is behind 24% of fatal accidents.
Despite an increasing awareness of the risks of driving when under the influence, it is still the cause for a large number of road accidents, so the pre-Christmas campaign is regarded as essential.
The DGT reminds motorists that the only safe alcohol rate is 0.0% since, even with blood alcohol levels within the legal limits, the risks of causing an accident can be increased.
Passengers are also urged not to get into a vehicle if they believe the driver has consumed excess alcohol or has taken drugs.
