Europe is once again leading the fight against drunk driving. This time it’s Spain

Spain is taking bold steps to combat drink driving within its borders. The Spanish government recently confirmed that it plans to lower the blood alcohol limit for all drivers next year.

The the news was announced earlier this month European Transport Safety Councila Brussels-based independent non-profit organization.

“When it comes to drink driving, the simplest message is also the safest: don’t drink alcohol before driving,” Antonio Avenoso, chief executive of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), said in a statement. “With this new lower limit, Spain is taking a leadership role in Europe. If properly implemented, this measure will save many lives from death or destruction.”

Currently, the blood alcohol content for most drivers in Spain is 0.05. (This is 0.03 for professional and novice drivers and zero for drivers under 18.)

Blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, calculates the percentage of alcohol in a person’s blood. This is a critically important measure, as the risk of an accident increases with the amount of alcohol consumed.

The planned change in Spain will lower the overall blood concentration limit from 0.05 to 0.02. When the new lower limit comes into force, Spain will be on par with Norway and Sweden, two of the safest countries in Europe in terms of road safety, according to the council. According to him, the new restriction effectively means that drivers should not risk drinking alcohol before driving.

The current legal blood alcohol limit in Spain is 0.05 like most European countries. (The overall UK limit is 0.08, and several countries, including the Czech Republic, Romania and Hungary, have a limit of zero.)

In the United States, the legal blood concentration limit in blood is usually higher than in Europe.

It is illegal in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico drive with a BAC of 0.08 or higherexcept in Utah, where under National Road Safety Administration.

The indulgence of the United States in this matter is reflected in the number of dead in the country. Every day, about 37 people in the United States die in drunk driving crashes — that’s one person every 39 minutes, according to the federal agency. In 2022, 13,524 people died as a result of road accidents while intoxicated.

In addition to the planned BAC change, Spain has taken the lead in promoting alcohol interlocks that can prevent drivers who are over the limit from starting their engines, according to the European Safety Group: “New large minibuses (carrying more than eight people), and also buses must be equipped with an alcohol lock in Spain. The driver must blow into the device before each trip to ensure that their alcohol level is below the legal limit.’

“When our children go on a school trip by bus or take the bus to school every day, it’s reassuring to know that the driver was not drunk,” added Mr Avenoso. “Every parent in Europe should have this right, just like every bus passenger. We would like to see this event not only in Spain, but also in every European country. Heavy vehicles should also be equipped with the devices, as accidents involving trucks are often catastrophic.”

To view current blood alcohol content (BAC) limits for drink driving in European countries, click here. To learn more about the impact and consequences of drunk driving in Europe and the US, click here and here.