Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Spain's Traffic Agency Uses Large April Speed Campaign to Push Lower Criminal Thresholds

DGT says campaign results justify making smaller speed excesses punishable as lawmakers review crime thresholds.

Overview

  • Citing the April 13–19 campaign, the DGT and the Guardia Civil said they set up 3,537 control points, checked more than 1.25 million vehicles and issued 78,045 speeding denunciations.
  • The DGT is using those campaign figures to back proposals that would lower the criminal threshold for excess speed to 50 km/h over limits in urban areas and 70 km/h on interurban roads.
  • A 2025 AEA study found radar revenue reached a record €246.8 million, a 14% rise from 2024, and reported that about 50 of more than 1,000 radars produced a disproportionate share of fines.
  • AEA detailed hotspot devices and regional disparities, noting the top radar at A-7 km 326 (Valencia) recorded 90,766 fines and provinces such as Valencia, Madrid and Cádiz led fine revenue while Ourense, Cáceres and Salamanca trailed.
  • AEA and driver groups say most sanctions occur on autopistas and autovías even though secondary roads account for roughly 70% of accidents with victims, which raises questions about whether radar placement prioritizes revenue over the highest safety risks and will likely intensify calls for policy changes and greater transparency.