Spain to launch new speed cameras on wheels to ramp up on fines

These new radares de carro are essentially speed cameras mounted on a wheeled platform, which allows them to be easily transported and placed at different points along the road network. This is unlike the traditional speed cameras which are fixed in one place.

The new cameras do not need to be connected to a power source, as they have a battery life of several days and are equipped with laser technology that enable them to cover several traffic lanes at once.

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The new system also has a Wi-Fi connection, which means data travels in real time to the DGT servers and reports for speeding are immediate.

This speed control system has already been operating successfully in France for years and has recently been trialled in Catalonia, resulting in many more fines.

According to the Catalan Traffic Service they have issued more than 150,000 fines in just ten months, with peaks of almost 10,000 in just three days after the new cameras were installed on the AP-7 and C-31 highways.

As a result of the successful trial, Spain's traffic authority hopes to replicate the model in the rest of the country starting in 2026.

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Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska explained that they will initially be used on temporary marked stretches of two or three kilometres where it is difficult to install fixed radars. The plan is that once the system is established, it will be expanded to other roads and situations.

In addition to issuing fines, the DGT said that the speed cameras aim to create a deterrent effect in problematic areas, reinforcing the safety of construction workers and reducing the risk of accidents at critical points.

Speeding remained one of the main contributing factors in traffic accidents last year according to stats from the DGT. In 2024, 211 fatal accidents were recorded in which speeding was to blame.

In general, it is the third most common cause of traffic accidents in the country.

According to a study by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), if average speeds were reduced by just 1 km/h on all roads in the European Union, it is estimated that 2,200 road deaths could be prevented each year.