Government toughens up punishment for drunk drivers
Cabinet also approves rules forcing young cyclists to wear helmets
From now on, motorists caught in Spain driving under the influence will be slapped with 1,000-euro fines, twice as much as the previous sanction.
The cabinet on Friday approved the hike, which is part of the new Traffic and Road Safety Law drafted by the Popular Party government. The changes do not affect the maximum blood alcohol content limit, which continues to be 0.25 mg /l (or 0.15 mg/l for newly licensed drivers). Motorists whose breath test results show more than 0.60 mg/l face prison terms of three to six months or up to three months of community work; they will also lose their driving permits for one to four years. Between 0.50mg/l and 0.60mg/l, drivers will have six points taken from their licenses.
The traffic safety reform also makes bike helmets mandatory for minors riding inside and outside urban centers. Cyclist associations had opposed the initial suggestion of making head protection mandatory for all age groups inside cities.
