For a week, 165,284 drivers have been required by the agents of the Grouping of Civil Guard Traffic to carry out the alcohol and / or drug control test, on the occasion of the awareness and surveillance campaign of the consumption of these substances at the wheel that the General Directorate of Traffic carried out between December 9 and 15
Regarding the alcohol detection tests, during the seven days there were 16,801 tests and 1,606 drivers tested positive. Of these, 1,359 were detected in preventive controls, 104 after having committed an infraction, another 136 for being involved in an accident and 7 more for presenting obvious symptoms of intake of this substance.
Of the 1,606 drivers who tested positive, 242 have been instructed to proceed to the judicial authority for exceeding the rate of 0.60 mg / l in exhaled air. In addition, against 6 other drivers have opened proceedings and have been brought to justice for refusing to perform the breathalyzer tests.
Regarding drugs, of the 4,466 drug tests that were conducted on drivers, 1,348 were positive in the index tests, of which 1,149 were detected in preventive controls, 129 after having committed an offense and 70 for being involved in an accident.
Of the 1,348 drivers who tested positive for drugs, 8 of them were instructed to be transferred to the judicial authority, 7 for driving under the influence of toxic drugs, narcotics or psychotropic substances, and 1 for refusing to perform such tests.
As usual, among the most commonly used drugs are cannabis (978 cases), cocaine (407 cases) and amphetamines (222 cases).
Salivary tests for the detection of the presence of drugs in drivers are increasing progressively with the idea of becoming generalized like those made for the detection of alcohol.
According to the Prosecutor's Office of Road Safety in its annual report, in 2018 56,173 sentences were issued for driving with excess alcohol (rate higher than 0.60mg / l in air or 1.2 gr / l in blood) or under the influence of drugs
Collaboration of regional and local police
As usual in the campaigns carried out by the General direction of traffic, the collaboration of local and regional police has been very important, since alcohol and drug controls have been carried out both on interurban and urban roads. The data of these police officers are still being processed and must be added to those presented in this note.
Although the campaign is over, Civil Guard Traffic agents will continue to conduct alcohol and drug checks to drivers at any time of day and on any road with the goal of deterring them from driving.