DGT To Increase Roadside Alcohol Testing To Protect Cyclists
Spain News
Published: 19 May 2017 12:12 CET
Updated: 20 December 2019 13:12 CET
The DGT traffic authority in Spain have announced an increase in alcohol spot checks in an attempt to crack down on the alarming increase in driving driving related deaths on Spanish roads.
Earlier this month, three more cyclists were killed and another 11 were badly injured after they were hit by drunk drivers.
As a result, the DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico) who are responsible for road safety in Spain, have announced that they will be taking a tougher stance on drink drivers and will be introducing an additional 130,000 alcohol and drug spot tests.
The checks will take place mainly on Saturday and Sunday mornings, the time when the majority of cyclists take to the country's roads.
In addition to the extra spot checks, the authorities will also introduce harsher penalties including hefty fines of up to €2,000 and outright bans for repeat offenders who are caught over the limit more than once in any two year period.
Figures have doubled over the past seven years, with over 400 cyclists being killed on Spanish roads in the last decade alone and a trend that the DGT and Interior Ministry are keen to put a stop to.
Road safety experts and campaigners are concerned about the figures and feel that there needs to be an increase in awareness campaigns to help educate both drivers and cyclists to help reduce the growing number of incidences.
Recent surveys have suggested that as many as a third of cyclists do not know the basic traffic and cycling laws in Spain.
