SPEEDING motorists are more likely to slow down if speed cameras are clearly marked, according to a study.

The Associated European Motorists (AEA) based its findings on 5,000 fines issued by the Guardia Civil and Catalan and Basque regional police forces over the last six months.

The list includes the 25 busiest speed traps in Spain, with the highest concentration coming in Madrid.

Toledo and A Coruna were among the regions with the highest number of speeding fines, with the AP-2 toll road in Lleida also prominent on the list.

“We are opposed to the policy of not signalling to motorists that they were entering a speed trap,” said Mario Arnaldo, president of the AEA.

“The object of the exercise shouldn’t be to collect revenue from speeding motorists, but to get them to slow down.”

Government body DGT, charged with promoting road safety in Spain, does not release figures on the amount of money it gathers in fines, but the government’s 2010 budget estimated the figure at a record €431 million.

Despite complaints from motoring organisations, speed traps have generally been successful, with the average speed on Spain’s roads dropping from 116.7 kilometres per hour to 110 km/h since the launch of a national campaign in 2005.

Subscribe to the Olive Press

4 COMMENTS

  1. A speed camera in Malaga absolutely makes drivers slow down. Locals slow down in the last 50-100 metres, braking hard then cruise through the zone of the camera and floor it once through. Visitors to the area most often seem to miss the signs and either a, get a fine, or b, when other traffic all brakes suddenly the visitors, in a panic, brake even harder causing a concertina of drivers back along the motorway all trying to avoid rear ending the car in front. Brilliant.

  2. If drivers obeyed the law there would be no need for panic braking. Cameras are a good tool (with clear signage) for slowing traffic, but need re-designing. The first camera should capture the number plate, while a second should record the average speed between the two. That way a gradual reduction in speed will ensue. No panic required and dangerous stretches will be covered right through their length. It would probably reduce income, but hey, the idea is safety, no?

  3. Ben – “A speed camera in Malaga absolutely makes drivers slow down. Locals slow down in the last 50-100 metres, braking hard then cruise through the zone of the camera and floor it once through.”

    Guilty as charged.

    If you update your GPS usually it gives you a warning ahead of time where the speed cameras are also.

  4. I am totally in favour of slowing down traffic,there are too many accidents involving high speeds!But once all drivers know where they have to slow down, they just carry on speeding in other places!I live in a more rural area and we have a method that has made us all very careful lately!We now have an unmarked police car,not always in obvious view by the way, and further up the road the Guardia Civil stop the speeding car!It works a treat, we are now totally paranoid every time we see a dark coloured car parked sideways on on the road ahead!A friend of ours also spotted the car, and thinking he was being helpful, flashed his lights at oncoming traffic to warn them.Sadly the police followed him, and fined him for doing so,not really funny but we couldn’t help having a little grin at his expense!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.