The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), in collaboration with the police and the Guardia Civil, has intensified speed checks on roads with a high accident risk. A ministerial decision has revised the control standards of speed cameras. This results in changes to their margins.
During these checks, 690 fixed speed cameras, 92 section checks and more than 500 mobile speed cameras were activated. In addition, 13 DGT helicopters, 39 drones and 15 camouflaged vans have been deployed. All this aims to reduce accidents and prevent accidents caused by excessive speed.
Third cause of traffic accidents
Given the effectiveness of this plan, the DGT continues to work on this problem with speed controls. Excessive speed is the third leading cause of road accidents in Spain. In 2019 (the last year with consolidated data), this cause was involved in 6,049 traffic incidents. That resulted in the loss of 298 lives.
Also read: February traffic fatalities
The DGT speed cameras
Speed cameras are electronic devices designed to monitor the speed of moving vehicles. In Spain, the DGT uses a variety of speed cameras on the roads. This includes fixed, mobile, trajectory controls and those installed in helicopters. These devices mainly use radar technologies. Or it concerns cameras equipped with license plate recognition systems to perform their speed control function.
New margins
In Spain, the DGT fixed and mobile speed cameras apply the margin established by the rule 5 and 7 to impose fines. For measurements below 100 km/h, fixed cameras have a margin of +/- 5 km/h. Mobile cameras in vehicles maintain a margin of +/- 7 km/h. For measurements above 100 km/h, the margin is +/- 5% or +/- 7%.
According to the new ministerial decision, fixed-speed cameras now have a margin of error of 3 km/h for measurements below 100 km/h, and 3% for speeds above. For mobile speed cameras, a maximum error of 5 km/h has been established for measurements below 100 km/h, and 5% for higher speeds.
How many speed cameras are there in Spain?
Route checks work similarly to the new cameras. They maintain a margin of +/-3 km/h or +/-3% for measurements below 100 km/h. A margin of +/-3% or +/-5 km/h applies for speeds above 100 km/h. Spain currently has 2,010 fixed speed cameras, 167 speed checks and 243 mobile and seat belt cameras, installed on various roads throughout the country.
Last year, the DGT increased the number of speed cameras by 7% with the aim of preventing future accidents. In addition, from July 6, both approved vehicles and vehicles registered from July 6, 2024 must include a range of safety features, including the Intelligent Speed Assistant (ISA).
Also read: Spain´s two top earning speed cameras
