1´500 Balearic drivers could face jail terms

1'500 drivers in the Balearics could find themselves facing a jail term if the new Penal Code proposed by the Director General for Traffic is approved. According to the European Automobile Association, the proposed penalties for breaking traffic law in Spain include a jail term for drivers caught with over a gram of alcohol per litre of blood in their system (the current limit is half a gram), for driving at 60 kilometres per hour over the designated speed limit and for driving on a suspended or withdrawn licence. The association said that the new penal code will lead to nearly twice as many drivers, an estimated 60'000, in Spain being sent to jail.
Breaking the speed limit by over 60 kilometres may sound a rare event but last year, 347 drivers in the Balearics were caught and booked for just that. In future, they could be put behind bars along with the 635 booked for drink driving with over a gram of alcohol per litre of blood in their body. What is more, while the proposals are studied, remember the new driving licence points system, similar to the one in the UK, comes into full effect on July 1.