DGT Intensifies Alcohol and Drug Checks This Week
The General Directorate of Traffic has launched a special surveillance campaign that will remain active until Sunday, December 21. The objective is to massively check if drivers have consumed alcohol or other substances. This operation coincides with an increase in work trips and the first Christmas outings, which heightens the danger on the roads. Agents will set up checkpoints on any type of road and at all hours to deter and sanction these risky behaviors. 🚓
How Agents Act and the Consequences of Infractions
Checks can be carried out randomly or if an agent perceives a dangerous maneuver. To detect alcohol, they use a breathalyzer that measures the rate in the exhaled air. If the result is positive or the driver refuses the test, a sanctioning procedure is opened. For other substances, approved devices that analyze saliva are used. Exceeding legal limits or driving under the influence of drugs implies a fine, loss of license points, and in serious cases, it can constitute a criminal offense with a prison sentence.
Details on Control Procedures:- Checkpoints are located on conventional roads, motorways, and urban areas, without a fixed schedule.
- Refusal to submit to the tests is considered a serious infraction with an administrative sanction.
- For psychoactive substances, the saliva test is the first detection tool.
The only safe rate at the wheel is zero, especially if combined with medications that enhance the effects.
Why Alcohol and Drugs Are Incompatible with Driving
These substances severely impair the abilities needed to drive a vehicle safely. They reduce reflexes, alter risk perception, and lengthen reaction time. They also damage motor coordination and the ability to calculate distances or speeds of other vehicles. These effects represent an evident danger not only for the driver but for everyone sharing the road.
Main Effects at the Wheel:- Decrease in attention and concentration capacity.
- False sense of security and overestimation of one's own skills.
- Alterations in vision and perception of light signals.
Planning Ahead Is the Best Option
It seems the only dinner with drinks the DGT approves this week is the one you finish on your home sofa, far from the car. It is more sensible to organize a designated driver or call a taxi than to risk your Christmas gift being a fine and losing your driver's license. Individual responsibility is key to protecting lives during these high-traffic holiday periods. 🎄