New DGT campaign launched in Spain to monitor the safety conditions of vehicles

Spain’s General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has announced that is launching a new campaign this week to monitor the conditions of vehicles.

Controls will be carried out from today, Monday, June 5, until next Sunday 11, but will not focus on speeding. This campaign is being conducted with the aim of reducing the accident rate on the road network under the premise: ‘Investing in maintenance is investing in safety’.

The entity referred to the Spanish Road Safety Strategy 2030, which read: “The age of the vehicle is related to its level of safety, and the risk of dying or being injured in hospital increases with its maturity”.

So much so, that the risk of dying or being seriously injured is multiplied by two when comparing the accidents that occurred with vehicles from 10 to 15 years old, in relation to vehicles less than 5 years old.

One of the aspects that are going to influence the most is the validity of the ITV. That was the second factor for which the people of Malaga province received the most fines (23,152) after speed (250,178 fines).

The DGT recalled that, currently, the average age of the fleet of cars in Spain under 25 years old ranges between nine years for industrial tractors and 14.2 years for lorries weighing more than 3,500 kilograms.

In recent years, data show that the average age of cars in Spain has aged alarmingly, increasing to more than 13 years. This is one of the highest figures within the European Union, which is why the authorities will pay a lot of attention to the older cars.

Vehicle safety is proportionately linked to its age

Another aspect linked to vehicle safety and its contribution to road safety is the need for its maintenance, which is proportional to its age.

“A vehicle with deficiencies in the braking, suspension, steering or tyre systems is a vehicle that is more likely to suffer an accident”, the entity insisted.

Officers from the Guardia Civil’s Traffic Group will collaborate with the Local Police of the Malaga municipalities in this latest initiative to monitor the proper maintenance of vehicles in the province.

Although the DGT also recommended controlling the state of the injection, lights, battery, levels and filters, air conditioning and windows and wipers, as reported by lasexta.com this Monday, June 5.