Andorra Launches 2026 Drink and Drug-Driving Crackdown Amid Wave of Arrests and Crashes

Andorra police launched their first 2026 campaign against drink-driving and drug-impaired driving on Monday, with intensified checks set to continue until 12 April. The initiative aims to deter hazardous behaviour, boost road safety and reduce collisions. Authorities emphasise that impairment carries "very serious consequences" for drivers and other road users. Penalties include fines up to €3,000, up to one year in prison and licence suspensions of up to three years, with harsher measures for professional drivers. The road code applies to personal mobility devices such as bicycles and scooters.

The campaign comes amid a series of recent impaired driving arrests and other high-risk incidents. Over the weekend, officers detained three men for alcohol levels well above the legal limit: a 51-year-old Andorran in Canillo at 2.20g/l after crashing into a barrier on Forn road at the Prats junction and fleeing the scene; a 38-year-old in Escaldes-Engordany at 1.31g/l; and a 33-year-old in Ordino at 1.44g/l.

Saturday night saw a separate collision on the CG-2 at kilometre 19.3 in Canillo around 10:45pm, when a 24-year-old man in a French-registered car struck an L4 line bus. He sustained injuries, while the bus driver and passengers escaped unharmed; the bus incurred major damage.

Early Sunday in Sant Julià de Lòria, a 23-year-old driver triggered a police chase after fuelling up at a service station and leaving without paying. Officers stopped him at the Riu Runer border crossing. As they checked his identity, he sped off towards Andorra la Vella with lights off, driving against traffic at high speed and ignoring signals during peak post-nightlife congestion. The pursuit ended when he lost control and hit a streetlight on Baixada del Molí near justice headquarters. Police arrested him on charges of offences against public authority, collective safety and patrimony. The vehicle's plates were stolen from another car in La Massana's Plans area—originals were found inside—and its owner reported the theft after being woken at 5:23am, having replaced them for €42. Tests found no drugs or alcohol, but the man fell ill during detention and required hospital treatment. Prosecutors released him without conditions.

Separately in Escaldes-Engordany, a 48-year-old man faces charges of crimes against physical and moral integrity after allegedly assaulting his minor son, prompting an immediate action protocol for suspected child abuse.

In an unrelated road safety ruling, the Tribunal de Corts on Thursday sentenced a Spanish-registered driver to two years' conditional prison—with four years' suspension—a €3,000 fine and 18 months' driving ban for major threats and illegal weapon possession. The 19 July 2023 incidents began in an Escaldes urbanisation, where he reacted violently to a neighbour's request to lower loud music from his luxury car, hurling xenophobic insults like "andorranos de mierda," boasting of his wealth and threatening to shoot them while attempting to ram their home. He later returned with more threats, forcing the family inside to call police. On the CG-4 near Erts, he chased three youths in a dangerous pursuit, driving the wrong way in a roundabout while brandishing a prohibited Taser and baton. He insulted arresting officers, including shouting "fuck the police" in English. The court highlighted the gravity of combining threats, reckless driving and illegal arms.