Information regarding electric charging points for vehicles is now accessible via the National Access Point, as of the 9th of February 2024. Drivers will receive this information through their web browsers and mobility applications, providing them with comprehensive details for their use.
From today onwards, complete details about electric charging points for vehicles are available at the National Access Point. Navigation tools and various mobility applications will be able to offer users real-time access to this information.
This obligation stems from a European Union’s Commission Delegated Regulation, which laid down specifications ensuring accessibility, exchange, reuse, and updating of road and traffic data across the EU for real-time traffic information services.
Each Member State is to establish a National Access Point, serving as a single point of access for users to road and traffic data. In Spain, this is managed by the General Directorate of Traffic.
The government will provide information on electric charging points to the public through the National Access Point managed by the Central Traffic Headquarters. Electric charging service providers must, in advance, furnish all necessary information to the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge regarding the location, characteristics, and availability of these facilities.
Publication of electric vehicle charging points will adhere to an agreed format, facilitating integration into third-party applications.
Drivers will have access to information about each facility’s location, opening hours, available services (e.g., hotel, restaurant, cafeteria, supermarket), accessibility measures, supported payment methods, number of charging points and connectors available. Additionally, details about connector type, format, charging mode, power, and voltage characteristics will be provided to users.
The Environmental badge is a system designed to classify vehicles based on emissions and efficiency.
There are four categories:
0 emissions badge
This category includes electric vehicles and some hybrids. It is the least polluting group of vehicles.
Eco badge
In this category, you will come across mainly gas and many hybrid vehicles. A plug-in hybrid, HEVs LNG and CNG vehicle types.
C Badge
This green badge is for vehicles that will include passenger vehicles, and vans registered after January 2006 and are fuelled on petrol. Also in this group are those vehicles running on diesel registered after September 2015. These vehicles will meet the latest Euro emissions standards.
B Badge
In this category are vehicles that do not meet the latest Euro emissions standards.
Do I need the DGT environmental Badge?
This depends on whether you want to drive your vehicle in a restricted zone. There are several emission zones already in place. Madrid and Barcelona have had them in place for several years. They are being rolled out throughout Spain so it will become more likely that you will encounter a zone in the future. If you do not have the correct DGT environmental badge displayed in your vehicle, then you are prohibited from driving in certain zones.
How do I know what DGT Environmental badge I need?
This is fairly straightforward. You can use a free online tool. Enter your registration number and the tool displays the category that corresponds to that vehicle.
You obtain the DGT environmental badge from the post office (Correos). It costs five euros. However, if your post office is like mine and you don’t want to spend half the morning queuing up then you can buy the DGT environmental badge online at the official post office website to buy the disc online. When we looked they want you to pay 20 euros to avoid the queues in the post office by buying online and for the last two days the site said they were “sold out”!
Another alternative I found posted on a Facebook group website seemed to be more competitive at 6.50 euros. It was marked as the official DGT site in the post but I am not sure that is correct. https://www.pegatinas-dgt.com/en . The website states it is an authorised dealer for the stickers and it is run by a company called ANSIB NET SOLUTIONS, S.L.
I ordered mine from Pegatinas-dgt.com on 18 January at 6.20pm and received confirmation of the order immediately. I paid 3,95 euros extra to receive a tracking code for delivery which was confirmed to me the following day. The DGT environmental sticker arrived by registered post 20 January.
You can also buy the sticker at garages which are members of the Spanish Confederation of Repair Workshops. (Red de talleres de la Confederación Española de talleres (CETRAA)) and Administrative Gestorias.
How much does an environmental badge cost?
The standard cost is 5 euros. They can be obtained from the post office (Correos). The Correos is also offering them online but at a cost of 20 euros. You can obtain them from Administrative Gestorias and a network of garage workshops including those workshops that are members of CETRAA.
The Spanish coalition government of the PSOE and Podemos will end the 20 centimos per litre discount on fuel prices on 31st December 2022 for the general public. However, road haulage, farmers and fisherman as some examples will continue to benefit.
The decision was taken on Tuesday at the Council of Ministers meeting. The removal of the discount is based on the fact that the price of petrol and diesel has fallen in recent months.
The measure was introduced at the beginning of April 2022. During the period it has been in force the measure has stopped petrol prices from breaking the two euro a litre mark over seven consecutive weeks in the summer months.
It was 1995 that the current regulation for historical vehicles in Spain came into force. The Spanish authorities now want to update these regulations. The idea is to make them less cumbersome and more affordable. The idea is the new historic vehicle regulations in Spain 2023 receive approval in the summer. The goal is to then implement them in the autumn.
The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) in agreement with the Ministry of Industry, the Autonomous Communities and the Spanish Federation of Antique Vehicles (FEVA) have prepared new regulations. Historical registration plate Criteria
To request classification of your vehicle as historical the current regulations stipulate it must meet one of several criteria including:
i) be at least 30 years since it was manufactured or first registration and in its original condition
ii) It is also possible to request if the vehicle is listed in the Inventario General de Bienes Muebles de Patrimonio Histórico Español
iii) declared an asset of cultural heritage
i) a vehicle deemed collectible due to its scarcity or uniqueness.
The number of potential new registrations for historical plates is unknown. Some estimates put it at 2 million vehicles, whereas at the moment the number is some 47,000.
The new process will do away with the need to catalogue the vehicle in the Autonomous Communities. This should save over 130 euros. There will also be other savings in both time and cost. In some cases, the costs involved exceed the value of the vehicle. Especially in the case of old motorcycles.
There will be two categories of vehicles under the new regulations.
Group A will consist of vehicles more than thirty years old. These vehicles will already be circulating legally on Spanish roads. Additionally, they must not have had any reforms that will have compromised their originality.
To achieve the classification of ‘historic’, their owners must only present a responsible declaration that they meet the established requirements. On top they must have the ITV and insurance in force.
The anticipation is that the cost of this process is around twenty euros.
Group B consists of vehicles not classified in Group A. For example, imported vehicles or those that are not currently circulating on Spanish roads. Under the new regulations, it is necessary to obtain a report from Servicios Técnicos de Vehículos Históricos to register these vehicles as historic. This report should declare the vehicle fit to circulate on Spanish roads. The report may include restrictions about circulating at night if the vehicle does not have lights or where the vehicle’s maximum speed would make it dangerous to circulate on certain roads.
No Inspections
Using several other European countries regulations as a reference the new procedures will see any vehicle registered before 1950 exempt from the need to undertake a technical inspection. This includes all historical motorbikes and mopeds.
However, the standard also regulates the mechanical and structural modifications allowed to the vehicle, to guarantee its originality. The ITV will admit those reforms that they were common during the vehicle’s production period and in the fifteen years that followed. It also allows car parts that no longer exist or that cannot be bought in the market are replaced by reproductions or similar.
Vehicles newer than 1950 and regardless of their historical status, must have the ITV in force to be able to circulate. Depending on the age of the vehicle, the period between ITV revisions is up to 4 years. Mechanical or security elements that are currently mandatory, for example, the seat belt. will not be required, if they were not equipped with them from the factory. They are exempt from complying with European regulations on polluting emissions.
Low Emission City Centres
The circulation of historic vehicles in urban areas is another of the important issues contemplated by the new regulations, although the final decision remains in the hands of each city council. For this reason, the new standard urges these entities to “establish formulas, through their municipal ordinances, that allow access and circulation” of historic vehicles in the Low Emission Zones (ZBE) of city centres.
36 drivers were sanctioned for speeding at roadworks on interurban roads carried out by the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) between September 24 and 30.
In addition, 242 were sanctioned for not respecting the signals, either from traffic agents, or from construction workers, vertical signs, road markings, traffic lights, cones or light beacons or any other type of specific signalling.
The agents of the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard carried out for the first time surveillance and control dedicated to locations where roadworks were being undertaken on interurban roads.
According to data from the National Registry of Traffic Accident Victims, in 2021 there were 156 traffic accidents related to road maintenance personnel, of which 19 involved operators who worked or walked on the road or its surroundings as pedestrians.
Of these 19 accidents there were 7 workers who suffered injuries and 2 lost their lives hit by a vehicle that was either travelling at excessive speed or whose driver was distracted. The other 137 traffic accidents involved maintenance workers inside their vehicles. In addition, so far this year, 2 maintenance workers have died while performing their duties on the road.
For all these reasons, during the week of October 24 to 30, 140,711 vehicles were controlled, of which 4,679 were sanctioned for different reasons. The main cause of sanction corresponds to speeding on road works sections, an infraction committed by 73% of the sanctioned drivers.
In addition, of the 4,727 sanctions filed, 242 corresponded to the lack of respect for signs, whether by traffic surveillance agents, construction workers, vertical signs, road markings, traffic lights, cones or light beacons or any other signage.
During the campaign, 153 drivers who drove using their mobile phones on these sections of works and 140 who did not use their seat belts were also sanctioned. In addition, 53 were sanctioned for driving under the influence of alcohol and 11 for the presence of drugs in the body.
Also worrying are the 34 sanctions filed for negligent driving, the 30 for not respecting the safety distance, the 24 for illegal overtaking in those areas or the 22 for equally illegal lane changes.
DGT resources for road safety teaching in Spanish schools
The next school year, which is about to start, will be the first in which primary, secondary and high school students receive basic training in road safety thanks to its inclusion in the school curriculum through various Royal decrees. These ensure road safety is taught at primary, secondary and baccalaureate levels. This will allow not only to develop active, autonomous and healthy mobility habits among minors, but also to encourage attitudes of respect that affect the prevention of traffic accidents.
After the publication of the aforementioned Royal Decrees, which incorporate the basic, specific and mandatory skills and content in safe and sustainable mobility at all educational stages, both the autonomous communities and the schools are in charge of specifying, expanding and giving shape to these contents that will be evaluable and that will be integrated transversally in different subjects such as Knowledge of the Environment or Education in Values and, in a special way, in Physical Education.
The educational resources, through different programs and materials, will be adapted to the specific needs of each stage. At Primary level they will be focus on promoting the values of active, healthy, safe and sustainable mobility, helping, for example, the extension of safe school paths or the incorporation of the bicycle as a regular vehicle for schoolchildren. At Secondary and Baccalaureate levels they will focus more on road safety values.
In order to help implement these contents, the General Directorate of Traffic will make these resources available to all those schools that wish to do so, either through its website or through the Provincial Coordinators of Road Education present. in each Provincial Traffic Headquarters and that they will be available to support those who need it in this process.
Legislation to amend the road traffic law in Spain have been approved by the Congress of Deputies and will come into effect three months after the publication of the official bulletin.
This will see and increase from 3 to 6 the points to be deducted in the case of holding a mobile in your hand whilst driving and 4 for not using the seat belt. This was previously 3 points.
The rate of 0gr / l in blood or 0mg / l of ehaled air is now included for motorists under 18.
The provision that passenger cars and motorcycles can exceed speed limits on convential roads by 20 km / h when overtaking other vehciles is withdrawn.
Use intercom devices in the tests for the obtaining and recovering driving licenses, will incur a penalty of 500 euros and the applicant will not be able to re-test for a period of 6 months.
The objective of this normative modification is to update several precepts of the Law on penalty points, a tool that has proven effective in reducing the accident rate on the roads in Spain. However, it was necessary to update to improve the efficiency of the system, adapt it to the times and reinforce road safety.
Main amendments to the road traffic laws in Spain
Distractions
Increase from 3 to 6 the points for use of hand held mobile phones while driving. Since 2016, distractions behind the wheel have been the number one cause of fatal accidents (31%), in 2020. The proliferation of social media, Mobile dependence and immediacy are harmful elements while driving, therefore the penalty points has led to the Spanish authorities increasing the penalty points for this type of infraction. There is also a 200 euro fine.
Seat belt and other protection
Increases from 3 to 4 penalty points for not using a seatbelt properly or failure to use a child restraint system. Additionally, the same penalty if you fail to use a helmet where required. The fine is the same penalty of 200 euros. 1 in 4 deaths in a traffic accident still does not use the seat belt.
More safety for cyclists
With an increase in the safety of cyclists in mind, one orads with more than one lane, you must change lane to pass cyclists. This is also the same for passing mopeds. Infactions now incur 6 penalty points rather than 4 penalty points when overtaking and endangering or hindering cyclists. For example, without leaving the mandatory minimum separation of 1.5m. The fine remains 200 euros.
Throwing objects form your vehicle
The penalty points for throwing objects from your car are now 6 points rather than 4. Cigarettes for example.
Alcohol limit for young drivers in Spain
Drivers under the age of 18 using any vehicle (mopeds, AM license, motorcycles up to 125cc, bicycles and personal mobility vehicles) may not circulate with an alcohol level greater than 0, both in blood and air exhaled.
Anti-start breathalysers
(Alcoholock) mandatory for motorcycles road passenger transport vehicles that are registered from 6 July 2022. These vehicles are required to have an alcohol ignition interlock.
Overtaking rule changes
The possibility of passenger cars and motorcycles legally exceeding the speed limits by 20 km / h on conventional roads when passing other vehicles is now withdrawn. 2 out of 3 fatal accidents occur on roads conventional. In 2019, for example, 239 died in a frontal collision on a conventional road.
It was back in November 2018 that the Spanish government embarked on a journey to amended the road traffic laws in Spain as mentioned in our article Tougher Law for using mobile phones pointed out at the time. This included an increase from three to six penalty points for using a mobile phone.
In November 2020 the Council of Ministers approved the various reforms and now congress has also approved the amendments which includes four points (not three) for not wearing a seatbelt. There was one notable adjustment to the original plans, however.
There has been a rule in Spain that on conventional roads out of town a driver could exceed the maximum speed limit by 20kph if the vehicle they were overtaking was not actually travelling at the maximum speed limit permitted. This lee-way was to be withdrawn under the original drafted new plans. However, after an amendment passed by just one vote the removal of this excess speed in these particular circumstances has been dropped.
It will also be law to wear a helmet when using an electric scooter.
These measures will now be sent to the Spanish Senate.
