This is where the two new speed cameras are in Malaga province
A safety campaign has been launched to control speeding, which is the cause of one in four fatal road accidents in Spain
Speed is the main cause of one in four fatal road accidents and in Malaga province last year 37 people lost their lives on the road in 32 accidents. In this case, inappropriate speed was present in 12.5 per cent of the accidents. Now Spain's traffic directorate general (DGT) is launching a special campaign this summer to try to combat speeding.
A total of 32 new speed cameras have been installed in the country, of which two are in Malaga province. One is on a stretch of the A-377, known as the Carretera Paisajística between Ronda and Gaucín. It is located between kilometre points 8+900 and 5+600 on this road in the mountainous area. The other is fixed and is located on the A-7052 at kilometre 4+500, in a descending direction. It is the road which links Cártama with Churriana and runs through the municipality of Alhaurín de la Torre.
One month of grace
The DGT's intention is not to issue fines during the first month. Instead, it will send warning letters to drivers who have been caught speeding.
As explained by the deputy director general for traffic management and technology at the DGT, Francisco José Ruiz Boada, inappropriate speed is the third most common concurrent factor in traffic accidents, especially in those with fatalities. In 2024, with 24-hour data from the DGT, 239 fatal accidents were recorded in which this factor was present.
The special campaign is being carried out throughout this week and town halls are also collaborating. In addition to these periodic campaigns, the DGT uses other speed control tools such as fixed and mobile cameras as well as aerial control from helicopters.
Statistics
It is estimated that 10-15 per cent of all accidents and 30 per cent of fatal accidents are the direct result of speeding or inappropriate speed according to the Road Safety Thematic Report on Speed published by the European Road Safety Observatory in 2021. In that report, the prevalence of speeding by European drivers was highlighted according to studies by the European Survey Research Association (ESRA), in its electronic survey of road user attitudes.
It revealed that 56.3% of European drivers admitted to having deliberately driven faster than the speed limit in built-up areas at least once in the month prior to the survey.
In the case of Spanish drivers, around 60% acknowledged driving above the speed limits on conventional roads, almost 50% do so in urban areas and more than 60% on motorways and dual carriageways.
ADAS system in new cars
From 6 July 2024, all newly registered vehicles must be equipped with a number of advanced safety features, the so-called ADAS, including Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA).
This system, consisting of the in-vehicle navigator, which displays the speed limit on the road and a sign recognition system that complements the digital mapping and detects temporary speed limits, helps the driver to know and respect speed limits, thus contributing to improved road safety.
In the last campaign held in April, a total of 1,609,507 vehicles were checked and 93,881 complaints were filed by officers from the Guardia Civil's traffic unit and Local Police officers from the 159 participating municipalities.
