Lorraine Williamson
The Spanish Traffic Service DGT has confirmed that it has placed 253 cameras along roads across Spain. This is part of a new specific surveillance campaign, which will run until Sunday 13 October. The campaign focuses on preventing and fining distraction behind the wheel, the most important factor in road accidents with casualties.
The 253 cameras this week are in addition to the checks carried out by Guardia Civil officers who, both on interurban and urban roads, with the collaboration of the regional and municipal police, will check for distraction on the side of the road. The cameras are equipped with recognition technology and license plate readers that have a direct connection to the traffic databases to issue fines in real-time.
With the deployment of the 253 cameras, the DGT carries out extra checks for violations such as the use of a mobile phone, not wearing a seat belt, not respecting a stop sign or driving over a solid line. These cameras are now working at full capacity.
Occupant privacy
If the photos are legible and show both the license plate and the violation itself, the corresponding fine will be issued, indicating the date and time of the violation, the mileage point and the road. The DGT emphasises that, in order not to violate the privacy of passengers travelling in a private vehicle, these images captured by the 253 cameras are then subjected to a process to make the occupants unrecognisable so that only the driver can be identified.
Campaign focus on the road
Until Sunday 13 October, DGT is launching a special campaign Operation Focus On the Road to control distractions along the road. This is part of a traffic police programme in all European countries. This week’s campaign is aimed at raising awareness and penalising one of the biggest risks that occur on roads across the European Union on a daily basis.
Distraction is the cause of accidents
According to the latest report from the DGT, distraction is already the first most common cause of road accidents, responsible for 30% of accidents with victims. As a result, distraction causes more accidents than alcohol and speeding. And this is only increasing. Distraction is mainly the cause of cars going off the road. In addition, it leads to collisions or collisions with cars in front or behind.
Mobile phones
Recent campaigns by the DGT also warn that the use of mobile phones is the riskiest behaviour. Phone use is the cause of 38% of fines imposed for distraction behind the wheel. That means that almost 4 out of every 10 fines are due to misuse of mobile phones.
According to the DGT, dialing a phone number while driving takes at least 13 seconds. During that time, the driver takes his or her eyes off the road. Answering a phone call can take up to 8 seconds. That’s more than, say, lighting a cigarette, which takes about 4 seconds.
Also read: Alarming increase in traffic accidents in Andalucia