Quite a few vehicles on Spanish roads have specific speed limits. Lorries, buses, special cargo transporters or drivers with restricted speeds all have to go slower than the indicated maximum speed at certain points on the road – lorries aren’t allowed to go over 100kph on motorways, for example.
The current speed traps in use can’t distinguish between different types of vehicles, and so these restricted vehicles can drive at the maximum posted without worrying about their restrictions.
But that’s going to change this year, as the traffic police (DGT) have announced they will be upgrading all mobile and fixed speed traps to distinguish between these vehicles as they confirm on twitter:
#DirectoraTráfico anuncia que próximamente los #radares fijos y móviles podrán discriminar el tipo de vehículo pic.twitter.com/Lzh4e1AoS3
— Dir. Gral. Tráfico (@DGTes) January 28, 2015
¡Radares para todos! Bienvenidos furgonetas, camiones y autobuses #Motor #multas #radar #DGT vía @elmundoes http://t.co/fY6K7fOdal
— wiquot (@wiquot) January 29, 2015
It’s all part of a crackdown on industrial and commercial vehicles that the DGT is planning for this year. Accidents involving lorries and buses have soared as the average age of a lorry on Spanish roads has gone up to 11,7 years; the average age of a bus is now 9.4 years and those of industrial vans 11.7 years – la crisis means companies aren’t renewing their fleets as often as they were before.
204 people died in crashes with lorries last year, the worst year on record for some time.
The DGT is also planning a series of mobile ITV (MOT) checking vans which can be called out by patrol cars that stop dodgy looking industrial vehicles on the road to see if they are roadworthy or not. If they aren’t, they will be immobilised at the scene.
#DirectoraTráfico: Este año, más inspecciones a #VehículosPesados y #Furgonetas y se implantará ITV en #carretera pic.twitter.com/CgjuLJu4NR
— Dir. Gral. Tráfico (@DGTes) January 28, 2015