The subdelegate of the Government in A Coruña, María Rivas, warned this morning about the serious risks involved in the consumption of alcohol and drugs while driving, in a control demonstration carried out on a road in Santiago de Compostela, together with the Traffic Commander, José Ángel Corral Segade, and the provincial head of Traffic of A Coruña and coordinator of the DGT in Galicia, Victoria Gómez Dobarro. The activity is part of the start of the special surveillance campaign of the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), which will take place this week on roads throughout the State.
The subdelegate highlighted the importance of this campaign, which aims to prevent road accidents resulting from the consumption of alcohol and drugs, present as a concurrent factor in approximately one third of fatal accidents. “This is a campaign with a clear goal: to save lives,” he said flatly, because “we are talking about a problem that has serious consequences. These are decisions that, in many cases, end in tragedy and that can be avoided,” he said.
“Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs endangers not only the life of the driving person, but also the life of others. The only safe rate is 0.0%,” continued Maria Rivas, who stressed the importance of prevention as a fundamental tool to save lives. “Behind many fatal accidents there are decisions that could be avoided. Our commitment as an institution is clear: zero tolerance with the consumption of substances at the wheel. That’s why we call for individual responsibility,” said the deputy delegate.
Rivas recalled that alcohol acts as a depressant of the central nervous system, affecting perception, reaction time, coordination and judgment capacity. “The sense of control many drivers think they have is misleading. His body is already altered, which exponentially multiplies the risk of suffering an accident,” he explained.
During the special campaign carried out last year in the province of A Coruña, the Civil Traffic Guard carried out 14,414 alcohol tests, of which 181 were positive and 332 drugs, of which 148 were positive.
“Campaigns like this are necessary. It is not a question of sanctioning, but of raising awareness. To make it understood that every decision counts. That every time someone chooses not to get behind the wheel after consuming, they are protecting their life and that of other people,” he said.
The deputy delegate also expressly acknowledged “the tireless work and commitment of the agents of the General Directorate of Traffic, both the Civil Traffic Guard and the technical staff, who day after day carry out a fundamental task of surveillance, prevention and awareness on our roads”.
In 2023, the last year with consolidated data at the state level, 246 people died in traffic accidents where alcohol was a concurrent factor, representing 26% of fatal accidents. In addition, alcohol was present in 13% of the total number of registered claims. These figures make it the second cause of road accidents, only behind distractions and ahead of speed.