During the latest weeklong campaign by the Spanish traffic office to clamp down on speeding motorists, a total of 24,721 drivers have been caught and fined for offences committed on secondary roads, half of whom were for speeding.
The DGT focused on these roads as they are the most common for offences to be committed, but, more importantly, are the scene for the majority of fatal accidents. In data from 2012, a total of 1,144 people died on secondary roads, 78% of the total fatalities. Another 39,979 were injured.
As for the crackdown, the Guardia Civil fined 12,812 drivers for speeding, with Pegasus, the airborne speed detector, managing to clock one driver travelling at 187 kilometres per hour on a road limited to a maximum of 100.
Lack of seatbelts also featured high on the list of sanctions, with 1,846 vehicle users risking their lives by not wearing a seat belt, now paying a financial penalty, rather than with their lives. Another 96 people were fined for having children in the vehicle without proper restraints.
More than a thousand drivers were caught using their mobile phone while driving, another 98 for using headphones connected to sound reproducing apparatus, other than mobile, and 14 for “other” activities related to distractions, such as browsing the internet.
Although the campaign was looking towards speeding, the other more obvious elements of risk were also being monitored, resulted in 861 drivers testing positive for alcohol, 29 were under the influence of drugs and another 1,160 drivers have been penalized for driving cars with technical deficiencies.
There were also 336 complaints of illegal overtaking, 400 for not respecting stop or give way signs and one traffic helicopter captured one vehicle that crossed four lanes, two in the opposite direction to the vehicle flow.
One association who looks after the victims of traffic accidents has expressed “serious concern” over the number of complaints registered, with a spokesperson saying that “we need more ways to reach those drivers who ignore the dangers they face, as they not only endanger their own lives, but that of thousands of other road users”.
Filed under: http://www.theleader.info/article/41316/
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