Are Dash Cams Legal in Spain?

A frequently reoccurring question searched for is “are dash cams legal in Spain?”

Although there are data protection issues, when referring to traffic law the simple answer is yes. One point that must be considered is that under data protection legislation you can run into problems if you share the footage on social media showing faces or number plates without permission, for example.

That said, not only are dash cams legal in Spain, they can also be extremely useful, especially in providing evidence in the event of an incident, or worse, and can be used by the authorities to help prosecute offenders, such as was the case when a lorry driver embarked on an extremely dangerous overtaking move, the footage was used to track down and prosecute the driver.

We must take notice of is that the installation of the dash cam must not interfere with our primary field of vision. The optimum position will depend on the style of camera and vehicle, but if the camera can be hidden behind the rear view mirror, then it will not impede your view of the road ahead, and will not create an additional distraction (there is an example in the gallery at the bottom of the page).

Like all devices, such as GPS, mobile phones, they must also be secured and you must not touch them whilst you are driving.

In terms of them being useful, dash cams have been in use in many countries for many years, serving not only as a means of providing evidence in the event of an incident, but also protecting vehicle owners against false claims. Russia is one of the countries where dash cams have been in use for many years and in America, a move to make them mandatory gained support in recent years, on account of the value they provide.

The video below was taken from a dash cam in a car driving on the N-332 through a notorious junction in Santa Pola. The junction was the scene of numerous collisions in the past, and has since had additional safety features fitted. In this video a near head-on collision was avoided, but should the outcome have been worse, it would have been clear to see where liability could be assigned.

A second video recorded by the same vehicle also shows some of the more bizarre scenes dash cams can pick up, here we can see an absolute act of stupidity which could so easily have had a fatal outcome.

If you are looking to purchase a dash cam, the good news is that through a collaboration with one of our partners we have details of a great deal.

Movil System in Torrevieja are offering their most popular dash cam for just 69.99€, and if you mention N332 when you purchase it they will give you an 8gb memory card absolutely free.

The camera boasts Full HD 1080P with a 3″ TFT display for previewing the footage. It has a 170º wide angle lens, parking monitor, support for 32G, motion detection, looping video and G-Sensor built in which protects the footage in the event of a collision or emergency, so that it cannot be deleted.

The video quality is now far superior than the videos above, as you can see from the screen grab in the gallery below.

For more information, you can visit them in their shop in Torrevieja, located on Calle Apolo, where their English speaking staff will be happy to give you a demonstration.They also provide a wide range of computer, mobile and device services, details of which you can see on their website here.

Remember, to get your free gift, you must mention N332 when you order your dash cam.