Every drunk driver risks a life and every sober choice saves one. Designated drivers are the hidden heroes of our roads and the ZeroHero initiative wants to reward them.
ZeroHero is a community initiative which campaigns for safer roads and against drink driving by rewarding designated drivers with free soft drinks. It’s as simple as, if you go to a ZeroHero venue and you are the designated driver of a group who is drinking, you get your soft drinks for free! When you go to pay, announce to the staff you are the ‘zerohero’ of the day and you will have to pass a quick breathalyser test- as easy as that!
Drunk-driving is not a joke. Over the last 25 years in Spain, over half of the 73,500 deaths on the road involved drivers over the legal limit of alcohol. In 2019, almost 50% of deceased drivers tested by the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences (INTCF) had consumed alcohol, drugs, or psychotropic substances. In 2024, 322 drivers killed in road accidents tested positive for alcohol, a rise from the 312 in 2022.
These numbers are real- it could be you, me, your neighbour or a stranger. You don’t need to stop drinking, you need to not drive when doing so.
Spain is trying to restrict the legal limits of alcohol even more so, where even one drink could push you over the limit. However, the current limits lay at:
Breath:
- Experienced drivers: 0.25mg/L
- New drivers and professionals: 0.15mg/L
- Underage drivers: 0.0
Blood:
- Experienced drivers: 0.5g/L
- New drivers and professionals: 0.3g/L
- Underage drivers: 0.0
For more information on driving and road rules in Spain consult the DGT.
It is routine practice in Spain for the police or Guardia Civil to do checks on the roads and breathalyse you, without needing a reason to pull you over. If you are over these legal limits you could be facing massive fines, points from your licence removed and even, prison.
If you are slightly over the limit you could take home a 500 euro fine and 4 points removed from your licence. If you double the limit, 1,000 euro fine and 6 points loss. If you are extremely over the limit (0.60 mg/L breath or 1.2 g/L blood) you could even be facing a prison sentence and a driving ban.
This is where ZeroHero comes in. We want to focus on the positives. Let’s thank the everyday heroes we take for granted who choose to keep our roads safer. This initiative is also a fabulous food guide, as all venues offer the most incredible services and food! Start your day at a brunch venue, stop off at the pub, have some dinner and finish your day at the Casino. Free drinks all day! Why pay if you don’t have to?
Check out the ZeroHero website www.zerohero.es for more information and for participating venues. If you are a business that is interested in joining ZeroHero, email ZeroHero or Good Morning Spain.
Josh Cluett, who has been closely working with ZeroHero, was on the show this week to chat about it!
