Average speed cameras in Spain
New road traffic laws Spain 2022
Road traffic law changes approved by spanish congress
Increase in drones to monitor traffic in Spain
Notification of a fixed traffic camera in Spain is legal
You are under surveillance
From today and until 20 September there will be extra surveillance under the management of the Traffic Authorities (DGT) on Spain’s road network. It is part of an annual programme of special events and is extra significant as distractions are the one of the biggest cause of fatalities on the roads. In 2019 and for the fourth year running distraction was the main factor in 28% of road fatalities.

This year the municipal police will also be involved in order to further strengthen the campaign. One of the main results of distraction is a head on collision with another vehicle travelling in the opposite direction.
The authorities have 12 helicopters, drones, 216 fixed cameras and fifteen unmarked vans at their disposal.
In order to avoid distractions, the traffic authorities recommend the following:
• Before taking the wheel: Sleep well, do not ingest alcohol and other drugs, do not eat large meals, take care of the intake of certain medications.
• On the way: Better not to smoke, and if you feel drowsy, stop.
• Maintain a comfortable temperature: 21 or 22 degrees is an advisable temperature.
• Careful with the mobile: It is an important cause of distractions. Use only for emergencies and with the car stopped. It is recommended to activate the ” car mode ” in those devices that have it.
• Radio / MP3: Handling them distracts us, systems that are controlled directly from the wheel are advisable. Programming stations and CDs before the trip is a good option.
• Traveling with GPS: Trying to program a route while traveling is very dangerous. It must be done before.
THE MOBILE: THE KING OF DISTRACTIONS

One of the main reasons for driver distraction is the use of a mobile phone while driving. Its use multiplies by four the risk of suffering an accident and the risk is comparable to driving with excess alcohol.
Using the mobile phone while driving means taking your eyes off the road for a certain time in which you travel a series of metres without the driver having control of the vehicle, since the attention is focused on the mobile.
According to the latest Distractions report prepared by RACE, 96% of the surveyed users confessed to having seen someone talking on their mobile while driving (80% on a regular basis) and 76% said they used it without speaking, only manipulating or looking at it. The report details that in the case of social networks, 18% of drivers admit to having used social networks while driving, of which 12% do so regularly. This percentage increases to 17% among young people between 18 and 24 years old.
OTHER FACTORS THAT CAUSE DISTRACTION
• Sleep and fatigue are two risk factors that are very unknown and at the same time highly implicated in road accidents: rear ending, leaving the road, or invading the opposite lane are very frequent types of accidents due to these factors.
• Smoking and driving: lighting a cigarette takes an average of 4 seconds. At a speed of 100 km / h, in that time we will have traveled 113 metres. According to the conclusions of various research studies, smoking while driving multiplies the risk of an accident by 1.5.
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
The Road Safety Law considers it a serious offense to drive using mobile phone devices, Sat Navs or any other communication system manually, as well as driving using headphones or other devices that reduce the mandatory permanent attention to driving.
These infractions involve a fine of 200 euros and the loss of 3 points.
Source: DGT
Automatic notification of traffic fines in Spain
Most of us have at some time exceeded the speed limit during our years of driving. The result could be a speeding fine from attentive traffic police or an unseen helicopter hovering overhead searching for traffic infringements.
Some of us may have committed other traffic infractions that, perhaps through ignorance, we hadn’t even realise we were committing.
The result could be a fine and points on our driving licence. However, the fine notification might not arrive until several months later. This may be long after we have forgotten about the incident.
Apart from our memory there are other problems with these notifications. They are sent by post.
How are Spanish traffic fines notified ?
Firstly, whilst I have every respect for post office delivery workers who have to deal with perhaps 20,000 properties all under the same post code, post does go astray. Also a lot of people living in the countryside in Spain frequently experience problems with mail delivery.

Secondly, if you move house have you remembered to change the registered address of your car in Spain? The advice of a traffic fine may well be delivered but are you still living at that address?
Normally, if you pay the traffic fine within 20 days then you only have to pay half the amount. If you want to dispute the fine, because it appears to be a mistake, then this must be done within 30 days of it being received.
However, if the authorities don’t receive payment or an appeal then the full amount becomes automatically due. Late payment will also result in a surcharge.
The tax authorities take over management of the fine if it remains unpaid. The tax authorities will then try to contact you. In the meantime, the fine may attract further surcharges.
Embargoed accounts and other asset seizure
If the fine continues to be unpaid the tax authorities will start the process of embargoing your bank accounts. If there is insufficient money in the bank they will resort to other measures. This could be to take the money directly from your salary or embargo other assets such as property.
Postal delivery in some areas is not the best and a change of address with the Regional Traffic Office is probably not at the top of our list of people and businesses to advise of a relocation.
How can I receive notification of traffic fines in Spain automatically?

Well, if you are not good at keeping the Spanish authorities up to date with your current location or your postal service is not reliable then the best way to ensure you receive notification of any traffic fines in Spain is by contracting a product that automatically advises you.
For just 20 euros a year (2020) you can purchase a service whereby a company will scan the daily records of fines issued using your details. If they find something they will advise you by text or email. You can then arrange to make the payment, taking advantage of any early payment reduction, or appeal if it appears to be an error.
If it turns out that the infraction was impossible (perhaps some criminal has cloned your registration or you had sold the car) then the product provider will help you to appeal the fine.
The service is provided to the individual so it does not matter how many cars you have. The person who is the owner of the car should take the product. If a couple have numerous cars, some in one partner’s name and some in another, then they should take the product each.
Interested? Fill the form in below and we will explain.
Do I need insurance if I am not using my car in Spain ?
If you have a car in Spain then you must have insurance. This is a legal obligation. If you have parked up the car in your underground parking because you are not using it you still have to maintain a car insurance policy. It doesn’t matter that you are not going to take it on the road or it is broken and unable to be driven.
At least a third party insurance is needed in case your vehicle causes damage to others. Although the car is in the garage there is still a possible risk of an electrical short circuit, for example. The Spanish law states that all owners of motor vehicles in Spain must have an insurance for each of those vehicles with at least the minimum obligatory cover required by the law.
A car without insurance could incur a penalty of between 600 and around 3,000 euros. It could also be that the authorities take the vehicle to a municipal compound if the position is not rectified within a few days.
The only time a vehicle in Spain is not obliged to have insurance is when it is registered officially with the traffic authorities as off the road either temporarily or permanently.
Can you overtake on the right in Spain?
How often have you been travelling on a motorway and seen another driving sitting in the middle lane or even circulating in the left most lane whilst there is no traffic in the right hand lane?
These “left lane syndrome” suffers, as they are known in Spain, cause traffic queues, sudden braking and sometimes accidents.
The regulations
The driving regulations on Spanish roads do not allow you to overtake using a right hand lane, except in special circumstances mentioned below. Therefore, a vehicle in the middle lane is taking up two lanes and one in the left hand lane is blocking three lanes of traffic. Under normal traffic conditions in Spain, you should always be circulating in the lane furthest to the right-hand side. If there is a second and/or third lane to the left then these are used for overtaking. Once an overtaking manoeuvre is complete, you should return to the right-hand lane once more.
We have probably all come across a driver, travelling below the speed limit and using the left hand lane whilst there is no traffic to the right. This can cause the driver behind to brake suddenly causing a ripple effect with the vehicles behind or even more serious consequences.
Fines and loss of points
The driver continuing to drive in the left lane whilst not overtaking traffic is breaking the road traffic laws. If caught they could be fined 200 euros. However, before you decide to pass on the right you should be aware it is also a serious infraction of article 82 of the Road Traffic regulations. Overtaking on the right may result in a fine of several hundred euros and the loss of four points from your driving licence.
Exceptions
One of the few occasions you can pass on the right hand side of another vehicle is if you are in a traffic jam. If the lanes of traffic are moving slowly, it might be that at some stage the right hand lane moves slightly faster than the left hand lane. This results in you overtaking traffic using the lane on the right hand side of a motorway, for example. This is not an infraction of article 82 but does depend on the density of traffic and speed.
Another example might be on a slip road when entering the motorway or when a certain lane is designated for a particular type of vehicle to circulate.
Remember, you should circulate in the right hand lane unless you are overtaking another vehicle. Additionally, overtaking on the right is a serious traffic offence that can result in a fine and loss of points on your licence.