How many lanes of a road can DGT radar devices monitor at any one time?

ALTHOUGH there are some radar devices that are unable to capture speeding in both directions, the majority of those used in Spain are capable of doing so, and even at a fairly long distance.

According to AEA data, a total of 3,704,675 fines for speeding were filed in Spain in 2022. This figure reportedly represents two thirds of the total traffic fines handed out.

Of these infractions, 70 per cent of them were captured by fixed radars. Mobile radars, such as those operated by Guardia Civil officers, accounted for the remaining 30 per cent.

As a result the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) has increased the number of permanent cameras on the Spanish road system in recent years.

How many fixed radars are located on Spanish roads?

There are approximately 780 fixed radars spread throughout Spanish territory, and within them there are various types, and even some that do not measure speed, according to 20minutos.es.

On many occasions, drivers are probably overconfident in presuming that these devices can only detect violations on a single lane of the road.

However, the reality is completely different, thanks to some new acquisitions by the DGT that control practically the entire width of any road.

What are multistatic radars?

There are still some older radars that only detect movement in one lane, but the vast majority of devices deployed on Spanish roads are capable of monitoring traffic in both directions. Some are even capable of covering several lanes at the same time in each direction.

They are known as ‘multistatic’ radars, and are a real headache for anybody who feels they can drive at excessive speed. These radars are capable of controlling up to six lanes of the same road and have a small margin of error.

A multistatic radar system contains multiple spatially diverse monostatic radar or bistatic radar components with a shared area of coverage.

Of course, the DGT usually has cinemometers of this type installed that only fine in three lanes of the same direction, However, they can be positioned on both sides of the road in order to capture infractions committed in both directions.

Not only have these new types of devices been incorporated on Spanish roads in recent years, but many of the older ones have also been upgraded.

Gantry radars, which are usually placed behind light and information panels above the roads previously only managed to monitor one lane, but they are now capable of measuring two or even three lanes at the same time.

What are velolaser radars?

The DGT has not updated its fleet of fixed radars, but has also incorporated mobile devices that are practically undetectable.

These are the velolaser radars, which can control two lanes of traffic travelling in each direction of the road, and can measure speeds of up to 250 km/h.

They are believed to be capable of catching any vehicle that exceeds the speed limit at a distance of up to 50 metres after the driver passed it.