The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) often uses its social networks to warn users about the dangers of reckless driving. The organization directed by Pere Navarro aims to raise awareness among drivers about the serious consequences of irresponsible behavior on the road by sharing images of violations captured by its aerial means.
One of the latest videos published by Tráfico on its official X profile (formerly Twitter) corresponds to a motorcyclist who was traveling at high speed on the V-31 highway, in Valencia. The recording, recorded on September 22, 2023 by a Pegasus helicopter, was shared by the DGT on May 4.
These images show how the driver of the large-displacement motorcycle is driving recklessly, endangering his life and that of other users. It is also clear that at all times he greatly exceeds the speed limit, as recorded by the cameras that monitor his behavior.
During the recording, which lasts just over two minutes, it is observed how the motorist overtakes other vehicles in a reckless manner, makes constant lane changes and exceeds the speed limit. At a given moment, the Pegasus cameras detect the motorist traveling at a maximum speed of 221 km/h on a road where the speed is limited to 120 km/h, the highest legal limit in Spain for this type of road. .
At the end of the recording, it is shown how the motorcycle driver suffers an accident after colliding with a car. Before the impact, it is observed how the motorist crosses two lanes and miscalculates when performing the maneuver to pass between two cars.
As a result of the impact with one of the cars, the man falls from the motorcycle and ends up in the ditch. Fortunately, he does not appear to have suffered serious injuries, despite not wearing gloves or proper equipment at the time of the accident.
One of the doubts that arise after seeing how the motorcyclist falls is whether the accident would have been avoided if the DGT helicopter had intervened in some way to intercept him before this outcome occurred. In fact, the Pegasus – a helicopter that can operate from a height of 300 meters and one kilometer away from the target – had already captured the motorcycle’s license plate, so the agents patrolling from the air had enough information to take preventive measures and prevent the motorist from continuing to drive recklessly.
DGT sources consulted by Moveo explain that the Pegasus helicopter protocol involves the observation and capture of traffic violations from the air. When they detect dangerous behavior or an infraction, such as excessive speed or reckless driving – such as the one described above -, they record the information and transmit it to the ground patrols so that they can intervene. However, on that occasion the ground patrols did not arrive in time to intercept the motorist and prevent him from continuing his reckless driving.
Regarding the time that the motorist was followed, these sources indicate that the mission of the agents patrolling from the air was to ensure that the images would be used in a pertinent manner for a possible complaint for road crime.
Exceeding the speed limit on interurban roads by 80 km/h is a crime. This could lead to administrative sanctions and the withdrawal of the driver’s license, in accordance with traffic regulations.
