Checks were being carried out in Majorca yesterday. | Alejandro Sepulveda

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The Guardia Civil launched a  major crackdown on drinking and driving at the start of this week and the campaign will continue throughout the festive period.

Across the country, an estimated 25,000 drivers  are to be tested for drugs and alcohol every day  over the course of  this week, but the crackdown will not end there.

The checks are part of a campaign by the Direccion General de Trafico (DGT) which aims to raise awareness of drug-driving.

The traffic arm of the Guardia Civil have intensified controls, with stop checks already in place across the Balearics.

Aware

Gregorio Serrano, director general of Traffic said: “The objective of the campaign is to make citizens aware that not only is alcohol driving dangerous, but also drug driving, which is often synonymous with death.

“Carrying out these preventive road checks, along with road education, is one of the most effective tools to discourage drivers from getting behind the wheel if they have consumed any psychoactive substance.”

The annual report by the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Science found that in 2015, 43.10% of drivers killed in accidents tested positive for alcohol, drugs and/or psychoactive substances.

Those who test positive for alcohol or drugs will face a €1,000 fine and will also lose points on their driving license.
Anyone found driving with drugs in their system could face three to six months in jail.

And, drivers have been warned that the check points are not only going to be put up at night, but in the afternoons as well, with  companies celebrating their Christmas parties.

Major problem

Driving under the influence of alcohol and, more recently drugs, continues to be a serious problem in the Balearics and across Spain and every Christmas and New Year, the Guardia Civil launch campaigns to not only increase awareness to the dangers but to also increase security on the roads because accidents are quite often the fault of another driver.