Editor’s Note
This article outlines a proposed tightening of drink-driving limits, which would lower the legal blood alcohol concentration for all drivers to 0.2 grams per liter and reduce the breath alcohol limit to 0.1.
The proposal would mean that all drivers, including novices and professionals, for whom the current limit is 0.3 grams per liter of blood, would have a limit of 0.2.
The limit for breath alcohol would also be lowered, from 0.25 (0.15 for professionals) to 0.1.
Fines will also change. Anyone testing positive between 0.1 and 0.25 milligrams per liter of breath will face a fine of 200 euros, which can be halved if paid before the deadline. The rest of the financial penalties remain the same: 500 euros for early payment for positives between 0.26 and 0.50 mg/l, and 1,000 euros for values above 0.51 mg/l.
For blood alcohol, the thresholds are also reduced. The serious offense, punishable by a 200-euro fine, will apply to positive tests between 0.20 g/l and 0.5 g/l in blood. From 0.51 g/l up to 1 g/l, the fine will be 500 euros, and when exceeding the 1.01 g/l barrier, the fine will increase to 1,000 euros.
Finally, the DGT will also modify the points deduction for positive alcohol tests. If a driver exceeds 0.1 mg/l in breath or 0.2 g/l in blood, two points will be deducted from their driving license. For higher values, the points deduction remains the same: four points for positive alcohol tests between 0.26 and 0.50 mg/l in breath (or 0.5 and 1 g/l in blood) and six points for amounts above 0.51 mg/l in breath and 1.01 g/l in blood.