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Did you know that it’s illegal to operate a radar detector in your car?  That’s a fine of about 160 euros, should you be caught with one.  Maybe you have a GPS or Sat Nav system that tells you where static radar is located; just to remind you of the speed limit and keep you legal, of course! 

As reported here last year, the DGT are introducing zero tolerance radar systems and have bought more than 40 new static, mobile and hand held radar units, in their fight against speeding, with the possibility another 150 or so more, to be introduced before the end of the year! 

While the DGT contest that speed kills, and few would argue that point, detractors including Dvuelta, the driver’s advocate in Spain, say that it’s no more than a revenue raising exercise.

Hot on the heals of news from Madrid that photos had been tampered with to make it look as if drivers had driven through Red Lights, when photographic evidence proved it was a Yellow (which they first denied and then back peddled to say that there must be a fault in the system!), only placing Radar on fast stretches of road, fining drivers for talking to passengers in their cars, etcetera, the evidence is mounting that the DGT is as much concerned with raising revenue, as with safety! 

A further example was recently highlighted as the DGT has refused to place Radar units on dangerous stretches of roads which carry less than 6,000 vehicles daily, while not mentioning that less than 25 of all accidents attributed to speeding take place on motorways or dual carriageways, where over 95% of static radar units are located! The choice for the DGT was simple; place radar on fast, safe stretches of road, where people normally speed and this will raise revenue or make less profit, but possibly save lives by installing them on more dangerous stretches of road in built up areas, which might slow down dangerous drivers!

In a further revenue raising effort, as neither RACE nor Dvuelta have been able to see it otherwise, Torrevieja will soon be the proud owner of a ‘zero tolerance’ radar camera to be placed on the N332 between Punta Prima and La Zenia! What does Zero Tolerance mean? One Kilometre over the limit and you might as well smile for the camera and wait for your fine in the post! 

With the slow posted limits for this new stretch of road, hundreds of drivers face the prospect of fines, while the exercise shall not be one of safety, but probably attribute to crashes and deaths, especially in the tourist season. Frustrated drivers who are not aware of the speed trap will try to pass slow moving traffic, only to see it too late, accompanied by stomping on brakes, followed by rear end collisions! Mark my words. You read it here first!

At a cost of over three million euros, Spanish roads contain 524 fixed speed checkpoints with an additional 43 to be added this month. However, not all of these contain cameras, as these are moved around and switched between the housings! In these cases, there is often one device for every three checkpoints, allowing the DGT to fool traffic into slowing down at three different locations for a third of the investment! Along with almost 600 fixed units, Spain also has about 240 vehicles equipped with radar to catch you off guard!

Some of the new systems in Spain are designed around two cameras installed at the beginning and end of the stage to watch traffic travelling though a zone from three to five miles in length. These cameras are capable of recording very accurately both the speed and the exact time a vehicle passed. It calculates the average speed of the car and if it exceeds the limit, the offending driver is photographed and within seconds it sends your details to the traffic fine management centre!

Now the DGT will say that they are saving lives by slowing you down but in fact all that has happened is that you have not been paying enough attention to your speed and they are collecting revenue! You can not avoid them even when changing lanes, since all the sensors are interconnected and operate 24 hours a day due to using a special laser beam system. Not just Big Brother watching you, but fining you also!

Pedro Valero, Torrevieja’s councillor for New Technology recently announced a new scheme of CCTV, Radar and Red Light units, which shall cover the city’s roads and public places. These are not designed to raise revenue but to help the flow of traffic around the city through remote operation of traffic lights from the HQ in the Local police station, plus discouraging vandalism and increasing security in Public areas. In Torrevieja at least, it seems that the units are for our own good and safety, rather than just raising revenue for the DGT.

The phrase ‘Don’t leave home without it’ may be attributed to a credit card company, but now may just as aptly apply to your GPS system with fixed camera alerts, which you should be constantly updating, just in case. As for the radar detector, much to the disgust of Trafico, a few of the newer units do not send out a strong enough signal, so that their ‘radar detector detecting system’ can see if you have a radar detector installed and, if so, fine you for it! 

The choices; drive naked and probably sooner or later you’ll pick up a ticket, use your GPS to inform you of fixed radar or illegally operate a radar detector and avoid any fines or points but possibly have it detected and be fined anyway! The choice is all yours. However, you be the judge; is the DGT installing fixed radar to save lives and cut down speeding or is the motive more one to raise revenue? I know which option my money would be on!

News story by Keith Nicol mcij (Tel: (+34) 609 06 36 14)

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