A new traffic law doubles fines for drivers who are over the alcohol limit or have any trace of drugs in their saliva considered to affect their ability to drive safely.
Anyone using the highway, including pedestrians, who are over the legal alcohol limit or use drugs and cause an accident are liable to 1000 euro fines and possible imprisonment.
Fines for driving over the limit were 500 euros before the new law under which the alcohol limit remains 0.25 milligrams of alcohol per litre of air in a breathalyser test. Blood tests will be used to confirm alcohol limits and saliva tests will be used to detect drugs.
Other changes under the law are the prohibition of radar trap detectors: an offence which carries a deduction of points of the driver´s licence, and compulsary helmets for child cyclists on any type of road.
The Government has also signalled its intention to increase the speed limit on selected motorways to 130kph and the draft refers to security systems for drivers and passengers. A possible change may be to outlaw children travelling in the front seat and establish firmer controls on child passengers.
The measures, according to the Director General of Traffic, are aimed at maintaining the reduction in road traffic accidents, a figure which has fallen by 19% compared to last year.
