Don’t brake sharply when you spot a radar!

There are various means and tools that the DGT uses to monitor the road network to ensure the law is compiled with by drivers, from helicopters and drones to Guardia Civil patrols, and of course the network of cameras and radars littered around the country.

All of these devices are used with a single goal, to make the roads safer for all, but all too often, drivers create a riskier situation by reacting harshly to a warning they hadn’t noticed, such as breaking sharply when they see a speed radar device.

Generally speaking, being caught speeding on the roads of Spain is dealt with as an administrative offence, with a fine of between 100 and 600 euro, and the loss of some points. Many of the drivers who violate the speed limit are caught be the network of speed traps around the country.

Now, firstly, a secret. The DGT actually want you to know where these cameras are. So much so, they publish their locations. Moreover, although mobile speed detectors are illegal in Spain, mapping devices are allowed to warn you of the location of fixed radars. Not only that, their presence is warned by signs on the road itself.

The reason for this is because all of the fixed radars are located in areas prone to incidents, what we might call “blackspots”, and as such, the overall idea of these cameras is not actually to catch drivers speeding, but rather to get to us be more careful driving through a notorious stretch of road.

So, in order to avoid being caught by one of these fixed radars, all we have to do is check the map and locations on the DGT website, or our approved mapping device, and we will be aware of potentially dangerous areas, and the presence of these cameras, before we set off.

The reason we have told you all of this now takes us back to the point of this article. All too often, drivers who are unaware of the location of these radars spot them at the last minute, and brake sharply to slow their vehicle down before crossing the path of the camera.

This is a very dangerous move, and, moreover, is on a stretch of road we have already identified as risky thus multiplying the overall threat to road safety.

The action is also punishable, because it is so dangerous. So, although you might avoid the fine for speeding, you could well end up with a different fine for endangering road safety if you brake abruptly.

Sudden and unjustified braking to avoid a radar may imply putting the safety of, for example, the occupants of the vehicle immediately behind at risk, and is sanctioned with a financial fine of 200 euro, in addition to withdrawal of between 2 and 6 points depending on the severity of the action.

Look back over the earlier fine for speeding and you will see that the penalty for braking to avoid the speed camera could be double the fine for being caught speeding.

Remember that all fixed speed cameras are marked in advance, either by a fixed sign that warns of the presence of a speed camera or by means of a raised luminous sign and published online. Regardless of the mandatory notice, the most prudent and safest thing to do is not to exceed the maximum speed allowed on the road in the first place.