ARCHIVED - Fine by me: Traffic authorities in Spain rake in highest figure in 10 years thanks to hidden radars
Two out of every three fines in Spain last year were for speeding
Throughout 2021, the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) in Spain handed out 4.79 million fines for violations and cashed in 444 million euros, the most money it has claimed in a decade. This also represents 2.3% more traffic infractions than 2019 and a whopping 23.6% more than in 2020, although of course that year was marred by coronavirus mobility restrictions.
Driving fines can be somewhat seasonal in Spain, with a whole host of misdemeanours such as driving without a shirt on and eating behind the wheel likely to land you in trouble during the summer, but year round, speeding takes the top spot, and 2021 was no exception. In fact, two out of every three tickets issued were for excessive speed, and camouflaged radars brought in the big bucks, catching 21.7% more drivers with their foot on the pedal than the previous year.
Most common fines
After speeding, not having a valid ITV resulted in the second highest number of fines (591,077), a 2.5% increase, followed by driving without a licence, sanctions for which jumped by 18.3%. With the DGT hell-bent on safety, last year fines for driving without a seatbelt actually dipped by an impressive 8.4% but the eagle-eyed traffic cops caught 3.7% more people using a mobile phone behind the wheel.
Some of the biggest improvements were seen in drink driving (down 32.5%), reckless driving (-23.58%) and prohibited overtaking (-15.92%).
On the other hand, in the last two years the number of motorists testing positive for drugs in their system has increased by a staggering 40%.
Which region has the most rule breakers?
By autonomous community, Aragón saw the biggest increase in fines during 2021, jumping by 58.5% but the Region of Murcia and Valencia also made their mark, with fines shooting up by 12.6% and 1.9%, respectively.
On the flip side, traffic violations have dropped by 9.8% in Andalucia and 2.2% in the Balearic Islands.
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Image: Guardia Civil
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