Busy Holiday Weekend with Alcohol and Drugs Checks Throughout

This weekend we reach the height of the summer season and, as such, the roads of Spain will be at their busiest.

The 15^th of August is a national holiday and it coincides with the busiest weekend for mid-summer parties, before the return to work begins. This year, the 15^th falls on a Tuesday, which makes the weekend a particularly long one.

The DGT has launched a special operation that covers the entire period, which will commence at 15:00 on Friday and run through to midnight on Tuesday night. During this period, it is expected that some 8.1 million long-haul journeys will be made.

As such, special measures will be in place to improve the flow of traffic, initially from large cities and inland areas to the coastal and holiday areas.

In addition to the special operation on the roads, the main focus will be to try to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries caused by drivers who have consumed alcohol or drugs. To that end, there will be a considerable increase in the number of checkpoints around the network where vehicles will be stopped and the drivers tested.

In fact, the plan is to conduct more than 20,000 checks every day during the operation, with thousands of checkpoints planned for the period.

Drinking and driving, and consuming drugs are amongst the so called “fatal 4”, the contributing factor to the majority of road traffic collisions and those with fatal outcomes. Although Spain already has a much lower alcohol limit than many countries, including the UK, the best advice, if driving, is to not consume any alcohol at all. You should also avoid recreational drugs, and if you take prescription drugs, check with your doctor or pharmacist over the implications for driving.

If you are going out during the holiday season, you could nominate a designated driver who doesn´t drink for the evening, perhaps, as a group, offering to buy all the soft drinks the driver would like to consume during your night out. You can also use public transport, such as taxis or buses, or even walk.

You should also remember that using a bicycle is not an option as when riding a bike you are still governed by the same rules as all other vehicles, and riding a bicycle whilst affected by drink or drugs is also an offence.

#chooseright – Don´t Drink and Drive!