ARCHIVED - 5 most frequent driving fines handed out by the DGT in Spain
The new Traffic Law in Spain promises to crack down on the most common driving infractions
With the implementation of Spain’s new Traffic Law on March 21, there have never been more ways to incur hefty penalties behind the wheel, and the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) is determined to come down hard on motorists caught breaking the rules.
According to data from the DGT itself, the authorities collect around 400 million euros each year in traffic infractions, with drivers in Madrid and Sevilla being the worst offenders.
So, what are the most common infractions that lead to fines in Spain?
1. Speeding
You guessed it: speeding is the most common cause for road traffic fines in Spain, and the latest data from insurance compare website Acierto.com estimates that up to 7 out of 10 fines each year are handed out to speed fiends. To counteract this growing problem, which contributes to a huge number of accidents each year, the amount of radars, cameras and drones has been considerably increased in Spain in 2022.
In addition, according to data from Formaster, the Professional Association of Training Companies in Logistics, Transport and Road Safety, in a 6 year period, between 2015 and 2020, up to 2.8 million speeding tickets were issued in this country, 65 % of the total.
Of these, the highest percentage, up to 70%, corresponds to fines logged by fixed speed cameras on the road.
2. No ITV or insurance
Every year it is estimated that almost half a million sanctions are imposed by the DGT to drivers without a valid ITV for their vehicle, which represents 11% of all fines.
Driving without insurance has become another major problem in Spain: it is believed that up to 2.65 million vehicles currently circulate on the road without insurance, and these penalties account for 3% of the total.
3. Alcohol and drug use
After speeding, the consumption of alcohol and drugs at the wheel are the next most common infractions in Spain.
Up to 1 in 3 road fatalities involves one of these substances and in recent years, more than 100,000 sanctions have been imposed.
4. Seatbelts
The new Traffic Law has increased the number of penalty points that can be deducted for incorrectly wearing seatbelts so be careful, because 2.3% of fines in Spain are for driving without a seatbelt or for travelling with minors without their mandatory child restraint system (SRI).
In one year, seatbelts accounted for more than 18,000 fines.
5. Mobile phones
This is another practice that the DGT is cracking down on: as of March 21, even holding a phone in your hand while behind the wheel will result in an automatic 200 euro fine and the loss of 6 points from your licence.
There’s good reason for this, as using a mobile phone while driving is one of the most common infractions on Spanish roads, with a 2.15% share of the total.
Other frequent penalties
- Driving with tyres in poor condition accounts for around 27,000 fines each year
- Reckless and negligent driving is responsible for 1.45% of all sanctions
- More than 11,000 fines are doled out annually for improper overtaking
- Driving with headphones generates more than 13,000 penalties each year
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Image: DGT
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