Spain’s strict regulations on drink driving continue to set higher standards than those in the UK. As of October 2023, the legal blood alcohol limit for drivers in Spain stands at 0.5mg of alcohol per ml of blood, a lower threshold than the UK’s 0.8mg limit. Additionally, Spanish law mandates even lower limits for new drivers.
Since May 9th, 2014, Spanish regulations have enforced a minimum fine of 1000€ for drivers caught driving with double the legal alcohol limit, for re-offending drink drivers, and for drivers found under the influence of drugs.
To put this into perspective, the UK guidelines, based on 80mg per litre of blood, permit 4 units of alcohol for men and 3 units for women to stay below the limit. Applying the Spanish limit of 50mg per litre of blood results in a restriction of 2.5 units for men and just under 2 units for women.
In practical terms, this means men can consume around 3 small glasses of wine or 3 cañas before reaching the limit. For women, even 2 glasses of wine or 2 cañas would exceed the limit based on UK guidelines.
Legal Maximum Limits:
Obligations Regarding Testing:
Spain employs a points system for driving licenses. Spanish residents, including non-Spanish nationals with an NIE number, start with an initial allocation of 12 points. Points are deducted based on the severity of the offense. Once all points are deducted, the license is canceled, and the driver must complete an education process to have it reissued.
It is essential to note that while EU driving licenses are valid in Spain, Spanish authorities cannot deduct points from a non-Spanish EU license. For this reason, they might require a license exchange to deduct points from a license when the holder has committed an offense.
For more detailed information on Spanish drink driving laws and regulations, please refer to the official Spanish Directorate-General of Traffic.
Stay safe and always drive responsibly.
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