Spain hits Brits with strict new rules as £873 warning issued

Spanish officials could be about to introduce tough new drink drive limit rules, which could affect British holidaymakers. The Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) has proposed new rules that could come into effect by the end of 2025.

The updates will introduce a stricter universal alcohol limit of just 0.2 g/l in blood or 0.1 mg/l in breath. Experts warn that the stricter boundaries will make it difficult to consume alcohol and stay under the legal limit. Even a small glass of wine or one pint of beer could be enough to break the rule, with drivers at risk of serious penalties, including hundreds of pounds in fines.

Jesús Monclús, director of the Road Safety and Prevention Area at the Mapfre Foundation, stressed that road users should not drink at all if the new rules were implemented, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin,

He said: "The proposal to reduce the limit to 0.2g/l should really be understood as 'not a single alcoholic drink if I'm going to drive,' and should clarify its incompatibility with driving."

Drivers breaking the new rules could be slapped with a fine of anywhere between €500 (£437) to €1,000 (£873). There is also concern that drivers will have points added to their driving licence if caught by police.

Álvaro Gómez, director of the DGT's National Road Safety Observatory, explained that the new stricter rules are expected to minimise the number of crashes on Spanish roads.

He also stressed that Spain wasn't the first to adopt stricter limits, with other European neighbours also embracing a hardline stance.

Álvaro remarked: "With this reduction in the maximum legal blood alcohol level, we hope to reduce the percentage of drivers who get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol, and thus the associated accidents. The impact is expected not only in the 0.2-0.5g/l limit, but also at higher levels. In Sweden and Norway, two benchmark countries, a significant reduction in accidents was observed after implementing a 0.2g/l limit."

However, it is understood that Spain will maintain its current alcohol threshold as a bar for more serious criminal proceedings. Blood alcohol content above 1.2g/l or your breath alcohol content above 0.60mg/l will result in more serious punishments.

According to experts, this can include a driving ban of up to four years or a potential six-month custodial sentence.