During a single week, 148,422 drivers have been required by traffic officers of the Guardia Civil to carry out the alcohol and other drug control test, on the occasion of the awareness campaign and surveillance of the consumption of these substances at the wheel that the General Directorate of Traffic carried out between December 6 and 12.
Regarding the alcohol detection tests, during the seven days 148,299 tests were carried out and 1,731 drivers were positive. Of these, 1,467 were detected in preventive controls, 91 after having committed an offence, another 155 for being involved in an accident and 18 more for presenting obvious symptoms of ingestion of this substance.
Of the 1,731 drivers who tested positive, 224 have received procedures for their subsequent transfer to the judicial authority for exceeding the rate of 0.60 mg / l in exhaled air. In addition, 11 other drivers have been prosecuted and brought to justice for refusing to take breathalyser tests.
Regarding other drugs, of the 4,977 drug detection tests that were carried out on drivers, 1,444 were positive in the circumstantial tests, of which 1,262 were detected in preventive controls, 103 after having committed an offence and 79 for being involved in a accident.
Of the 1,444 drivers who tested positive for drugs, 11 of them were instructed to proceed to subsequent transfer to the judicial authority, 6 for driving under the influence of toxic drugs, narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances and 5 for refusing to carry out said tests.
As usual, among the most commonly used drugs are cannabis (1,077 cases), followed by cocaine (469 cases) and amphetamines (202 cases).
DO NOT LOWER THE GUARD AT CHRISTMAS
Although the campaign has ended, the Guardia Civil agents continue to carry out preventive alcohol and drug controls on drivers at any time of the day and on any road with the aim of dissuading them from driving. These substance verification points have proven to be essential to detect drivers who are a danger to other road users.
Shortly we begin a period of the year in which family and friends celebrations invite greater consumption of these substances that are incompatible with driving. Hence, Traffic appeals to the responsibility of all citizens in three ways:
- Do not drive if you have ingested these substances.
- Preventing the person who has consumed alcohol and other drugs from getting behind the wheel.
- Do not get into the vehicle with someone who has drunk or used these substances.
Relativizing the effects that all drugs have on driving can only lead, in the best of cases, to a hospital, but also to the cemetery and jail. In addition, you may find that your car insurance is invalidated if you have an accident whilst under the influence.
COLLABORATION OF REGIONAL AND LOCAL POLICE
As is customary in the campaigns carried out by the DGT, the collaboration of local and regional police has been very important, since alcohol and other drug controls have been carried out both on interurban and urban roads. The data of these police officers are still being processed and will have to be added to those presented in this note.
