The Spanish government is proposing to lower the legal blood alcohol limit for drivers from 0.5 to 0.2 grams per liter. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska believes the country is ready for this change to help reduce road accidents.

Goal: Fewer Road Deaths in Spain

Grande-Marlaska announced the proposal at a Forum Europa event, noting that alcohol or drugs are involved in over half of recent road accidents. Summer 2024 alone saw 241 fatalities on Spanish roads. He said the change responds to calls from road safety groups and aims to make driving safer for everyone.

🗣️ Grande-Marlaska, sobre la reducción del nivel de alcoholemia al volante a 0,2:

➡️ La sociedad está madura para afrontar el debate en este ámbito
➡️ Es un compromiso del Gobierno, clave para reducir la siniestralidad pic.twitter.com/aOcwmUirz9

— Ministerio del Interior (@interiorgob) September 12, 2024

Parliamentary Support Needed

To make this change, Spain’s parliament must approve the proposal through Article 20 of the traffic regulations. If passed, Spain would join countries like Sweden that have stricter alcohol limits for drivers. A similar rule for new drivers and professional drivers was already considered in June, but the new proposal extends to all drivers.

Matching European Safety Levels

Grande-Marlaska pointed out that Spain has already made progress in reducing road deaths with the points-based driving license system. Spain now reports 36 deaths per million people, below the EU average of 47. The goal is to reach safety levels seen in countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Germany.

He also suggested discussing voluntary courses to help drivers recover lost license points, as part of ongoing efforts to improve road safety in Spain.

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