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Nearly Half of Drivers Killed in 2025 Tested Positive for Alcohol or Drugs

Authorities have launched intensive roadside checks to press for a 0.0 alcohol limit to curb a rising toll from mixed substance use.

Overview

  • A national forensic review of 2025 fatalities found 446 of 894 drivers tested positive for alcohol, drugs or psychopharmaceuticals, representing 49.9% of drivers analysed.
  • Alcohol appeared in about two-thirds of positive cases, drugs in 41.9% and psychopharmaceuticals in 34.1%, with multiple-substance combinations in roughly 19.1% of cases.
  • The DGT has deployed intensified alcohol and drug controls on roads through Sunday, July 19, using the Guardia Civil and local police to increase roadside checks and deterrence.
  • Officials highlighted clear risk multipliers and enforcement data: a 0.5 g/l blood alcohol level doubles crash risk, 0.8 g/l multiplies it fivefold, 1.5 g/l up to twentyfold, and prosecutors recorded 47,103 convictions for driving under the influence in 2025.
  • Authorities warn that sleep loss and sedative medicines are major but under-recognised hazards, estimate about 75 deaths tied to sleep problems each year, and say the findings justify tougher prevention, wider use of testing and public awareness campaigns.