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With the tourist season fast approaching, the traffic authorities in Spain are once again highlighting the dangers of reckless driving after a 74-year-old motorist was caught travelling in the wrong direction for at least 20 kilometres on the AP-7 motorway near Cartagena.

 

Guardia Civil officers managed to intercept the vehicle on the hard shoulder, where the driver was informed he would be investigated for a potential offence under Article 380 of the Penal Code, which addresses reckless driving. The situation escalated when the driver refused to take a breathalyser test, prompting a second charge under Article 383 for failing to comply with legally required testing.

 

Believe it or not, speeding against traffic down a dual carriageway or motorway in Spain is far from an unusual occurrence and the only real surprise is that this kind of confusion doesn’t result in more accidents or fatalities. While many motorists are found to be under the influence, plenty of drivers make the honest mistake of joining a road going in the wrong direction, particularly holidaymakers.

 

 

Whether it’s an innocent blunder by a motorist unfamiliar with the flow of traffic, or a more serious error in judgement as a result of alcohol or drugs, the reality is the same: driving in the wrong direction on any road could cost lives, and it’s considered a major offence.

 

According to Article 380, reckless driving in Spain can result in a prison sentence ranging from six months to two years, along with a driving ban of one to six years. If the court finds that the behaviour showed a "manifest disregard for the lives of others," the penalties may rise significantly to between two and five years in prison, a fine and a driving ban of up to ten years.

 

Refusing a breathalyser test, as happened in Cartagena last week, carries its own consequences. Article 383 of the Penal Code stipulates a prison sentence of six months to one year and a driving ban of up to four years for drivers who refuse alcohol or drug testing when requested by authorities.

 

 

Spain introduced breathalyser testing in 1981 through the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT). At that time, the legal blood alcohol limit was 0.8 grams per litre, higher than today’s limit of 0.5 g/l, although this could soon be reduced even lower.

 

By 1985, only around half a million tests were conducted annually, a figure that has since risen substantially as enforcement has become more widespread.

 

 

Image: Guardia Civil