Excessive speed is a concurrent factor in many of the traffic accidents with fatalities that occur in Spain. According to data from the DGT, collected in the 24 hours after the accident, in 2023 it was present in 211 fatal mishaps. To control – and punish – drivers who drive above the legal limits, Traffic has a very effective tool: radars.
A few months ago, the organization led by Pere Navarro announced that, in three years, it plans to install 150 new devices, of which 88 will be placed this year, 2024, mostly on conventional roads because they account for seven out of every ten fatal accidents.
It should be noted that 60% of the new speedometers will be section speed meters, that is, those that calculate the average speed of each vehicle between two kilometer points on a road. According to statements made by Ana Blanco, deputy deputy director of Traffic at the DGT, to the magazine Tráfico y Seguridad Vial, these devices are “the most effective.”
Despite the virtues of section radars, the DGT is also considering placing mobile devices on road sections where there are works. This is what Navarro himself said in the Road Safety Commission of the Congress of Deputies that was held yesterday. According to statements collected by Europa Press, they would be limited to 60 km/h and “with a large sign announcing that the speed in the works section is controlled by radar.”
Detecting the presence of a mobile radar is not easy, even though the DGT has a list with its location on its website. Traffic indicates the kilometer sections where it places them, but they are such long distances – normally between 10 and 20 kilometers, but there are also more than 50 kilometers – that it is difficult to find their location before it is too late.
Using a jammer to track the mobile radar signal and interfere with its operation is not the solution either. Having one of these devices in the car carries a financial penalty of 6,000 euros and the withdrawal of 6 points.
Furthermore, if the agents discover the workshop that installed the device, they will fine them 30,000 euros. Carrying a speedometer detector is also illegal and carries 200 euros and the loss of three points.
The only thing that can be used is a speed camera warning, since the information on its location is public and it is precisely this data that is collected by browsers such as Google Maps or Waze.