Police Accidents Without Drug Tests or ITV: A Recurring Pattern

The pattern nobody investigates: police cars without ITV and agents without drug tests

Have you ever wondered why, when a police vehicle is involved in a traffic accident, information about alcohol or drug tests is conspicuous by its absence? The pattern repeats with regularity that invites skepticism: official vehicles driving without passing the ITV, drivers claiming 'emergency service,' and internal investigations that rarely reach the media.

An accident that exposes the pattern

The trigger was a crash in the center of Santander on May 15. A National Police car and a van collided, leaving two officers injured and the police vehicle smashed against a building facade. What trinc is a pattern that repeats in various Spanish cities: Palma, Valladolid, Torrejón de Ardoz, Cádiz, Orihuela Costa... Only in the last year have dozens of incidents involving police cars been recorded, where the driver's identity is the only missing detail in the news. Were they subjected to drug tests? The response in the reports is usually an administrative silence.

The double standard in controls

The underlying problem is twofold. On one hand, the lack of maintenance of police vehicles. According to collected testimonies, some patrol cars have not passed the Technical Vehicle Inspection (ITV) since 2007, despite complaints from the officers themselves. Interestingly, the Civil Guard can fine the Local Police for driving without ITV, but the penalty is symbolic: 150 euros and two points on the license. It is ironic that those who must enforce the rules are the first to break them.

On the other hand, the de facto exemption from controls. In one documented case, an officer was heading to a service regarding a possible case of gender-based violence, which exempted him from complying with certain traffic rules. However, in practice, this exemption has become a carte blanche for drivers who, in many cases, drive at excessive speeds or under the influence of substances. An example: in a chase in Valladolid, four police officers were injured after reaching 200 km/h in an urban area. The news focused on the 'reckless action of the incivil,' omitting that the pursuit protocol should have been aborted due to the risk to third parties.

Justice, between indulgence and evidence

Justice, for its part, is not immune to this dynamic. In Palma, a judge charged a local police officer with manslaughter for hitting three people in 2022, concluding that he was driving 'with manifest recklessness.' The Public Prosecutor's Office appealed to the Provincial Court. In another case, the High Court of Justice of the Balearic Islands reduced the penalty for an officer involved in a work-related accident, reflecting a trend towards leniency when the offender wears a uniform.

Meanwhile, the loss of evidence seems to be the last resort: in a recent case, a blood sample from an officer who hit a pedestrian mysteriously disappeared in the hospital. Thus, the chain of impunity closes: first there is no test, then the evidence is lost, and finally the case is archived due to 'improper procedures.'

The conclusion is uncomfortable: while private drivers face random checks and exemplary sanctions, officers driving official vehicles enjoy protection that cannot be sustained with technical arguments. The cycle of the mess –broken car, uninjured driver, non-existent test– seems to have no end. And meanwhile, civil victims wait for someone to dare ask what everyone thinks: who cares about road safety when the offender wears a badge?