The new Law on Traffic, Circulation of Motor Vehicles and Road Safety in Spain was approved on December 21, but it is now in force. The regulation is overloaded with harsher fines, such as the fact that the DGT will take 6 points off your license if you drive and use your mobile ; new violations; as well as the inclusion of electric scooters and bikes as new regulated vehicles.

The DGT is ready to make a killing, so you better know the changes to avoid fines, because not knowing the new law will not save you from them.

From 3 to 6 points, the DGT does not want you to use your mobile while driving and increases the fine for doing so

Although fines for speeding tend to be the most common, another of the big problems that the DGT is fighting is the use of mobile phones while driving. There are many accidents caused by drivers who take their eyes off the road to check their phones, so they must reduce them.

The solution? An unceremonious fine: 6 points less on the driver’s license and a 200-euro fine . Until now, the fine for being caught using your smartphone while driving was 3 points less and 200 euros. In addition, it is an instant offense whether you are seen by an officer or one of the thousands of radars that the DGT has distributed throughout the country.

What did you use the mobile to look for something in Google Maps? fined. Did you change the song? fined. That you’re taking a call to put it on speaker and you got caught? fined. Whichever way you get caught picking up your phone, even while the traffic light is red, you’ll take home a penalty.

What do we think about this? It seems to us a necessary measure because road safety is very important, although perhaps a little excessive in terms of the way it is applied. Even so, that’s why we always recommend using applications like MyFreeHands (to use WhatsApp without touching your phone) or Headunit Reloaded Emulator (which turns your player into Android Auto with all its features).

Electric scooters and bikes under surveillance, the hunt for radars and the elimination of the extra 20 km/h to overtake

Although the above fine is the one that most concerns this blog, we cannot ignore other changes that came into force with the new Traffic Law. Some are modifications of rules that already existed, but others are new:

• Formally, Personal Mobility Vehicles (VMP) are included in the Traffic Law, so they are subject to regular DGT fines. Until now, electric scooters and bicycles were governed by a separate regulation, but not anymore.
• VMPs are prohibited from circulating on sidewalks, dual carriageways and motorways . Doing so represents a fine of 200 euros, the same if you do not wear a helmet.
• As a protection for VMP drivers, drivers of other types of vehicles will also be fined 200 euros if they invade exclusive circulation areas for VMP. The same if they overtake a cyclist without occupying the entire opposite lane.
• If you drink alcohol, you will not be able to drive a VMP or start your reservation with an application, you must first pass a test. Otherwise, you take home a fine of 500 euros. Some rental applications already do this test, but now it will be mandatory.
• If you get caught with a radar detector in your car, you get a 200 euro fine and 3 points less on your license. And as it is a radar inhibitor, you will have to pay 6000 euros and 6 points.
• The exception to the maximum speed limit when overtaking on conventional highways and secondary roads is eliminated . Until now, it was allowed to exceed the speed limit by an extra 20 km/h to overtake another car, but no more.

Do these changes seem positive to you? What do you think about them?

Source | BOE

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