Spain proposes lowering blood alcohol limit for all drivers

The Spanish government is launching a new legislative attempt to lower the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for drivers. The proposal aims to reduce the current general limit from 0.5 per mille to 0.2 per mille, which would apply to all drivers, including tourists.

Currently, most drivers in Spain are permitted a limit of 0.5 per mille, while professional drivers and those with less than two years of driving experience are subject to a stricter 0.3 per mille limit. If passed, the new 0.2 per mille threshold would align Spain with countries like Estonia, Poland, and Sweden, placing it among the EU nations with the lowest permitted alcohol levels.

This legislative push follows a period of increased road fatalities. During July and August, 240 people died on roads outside urban areas, an increase of ten compared to the same period last year. A previous attempt to pass this law in the Spanish parliament failed in March by a single vote.