ARCHIVED - Alcolock: new anti-start breathalysers required in vehicles in Spain
The device will be mandatory in road passenger transport vehicles in Spain from July
On March 21, Spain introduced its new Law on Traffic, Vehicle Circulation and Road Safety, which included a raft of new regulations as well as stiffer penalties for infractions such as handling a mobile phone while driving or not wearing a seatbelt.
In addition to reducing the alcohol limit of younger drivers to zero, the DGT has decided to implement a new mandatory rule for professional drivers this summer that requires the installation of an anti-start breathalyser, known as the ‘Alcolock’.
The regulation will be effective from July 6 2022 for professional drivers of road passenger transport vehicles, such as busses and coaches and from July 6 2024 it will be a requirement in all newly-manufactured cars as well.
You might also like: Alcohol and driving in Spain: legal limits and recommendations
The Alcolock is a device connected to the vehicle’s ignition and can analyse concentrations of alcohol in expressed air: in the event that the system detects that the permitted alcohol limits have been exceeded, the car will not start. Likewise, there will be no way to start the vehicle if the Alcolock is not activated.
In addition, the device will have a recognition system stored in the breathalyser’s memory to prevent a person other than the driver taking the wheel; these measures could include fingerprints, pupil or digital photographs.
The main aim of the DGT with the new regulations is to reduce the number of fatalities on Spanish roads and the Traffic authorities maintain that if this device were to be installed in all vehicles, the number of road traffic accidents would be drastically reduced.
Click here for all the latest travel and motoring news in Spain or join our Driving in Spain Facebook page for more updates
Image 1: GTT
Image 2: DGT
Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin and get an email with all the week’s news straight to your inbox
Special offer: Subscribe now for 25% off (36.95 euros for 48 Bulletins)
OR
you can sign up to our FREE weekly roundup!
Read some of our recent bulletins:
25% Discount Special Offer subscription:
36.95€ for 48 Editor’s Weekly News Roundup bulletins!
Please CLICK THE BUTTON to subscribe.
(List price 3 months 12 Bulletins)
Read more stories from around Spain:
Contact Spanish News Today: Editorial 966 260 896 /
Office 968 018 268
