The Guarda Nacional Republicana detained 8,438 drunk drivers between January 1 and July 31, 2026, registering 8,856 crimes of driving under the influence. This average of about 280 weekly detentions represents more than 101 thousand hours during which these drivers were kept off Portuguese roads, being prevented from driving for a minimum period of 12 hours each.
In Portugal, driving with a Blood Alcohol Level equal to or greater than 1.20 g/l constitutes a road crime, punishable by a prison sentence of up to one year or a fine of up to 120 days, in addition to being barred from driving. The difference between the number of registered crimes and detentions is due to cases where a blood sample is required in a hospital setting, whose result is known later.
The data reveal that driving under the influence of alcohol mainly affects the adult population, with the age group between 51 and 64 leading with 2,450 detentions, followed by drivers between 41 and 50 years old (2,167) and those between 31 and 40 years old (1,850). The patterns also show that risk increases significantly during weekends, with the most critical period occurring between midnight and 6 AM.
At the territorial level, the districts of Porto, Setúbal, Aveiro and Faro stand out for the highest volume of crimes and detentions, reflecting territories with greater road traffic intensity and greater urban and tourist concentration.
