By John Ensor • Published: 13 Mar 2024 • 18:02
DGT looks at passenger behaviour. Credit: Snapic_PhotoProduction/Shutterstock.com
The DGT warns that even as a passenger, your actions can have serious consequences on the driver’s ability to concentrate.
The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) is cracking down on distractions caused by passengers, with penalties reaching up to €500 and a potential loss of six points from the driver’s licence.
Article 18.1 of the General Traffic Regulations highlights the driver’s duty to maintain constant vigilance on the road.
This includes ensuring that passengers and any transported items do not interfere with the driver’s field of vision or freedom of movement. Distractions, no matter how minor they may seem, can lead to significant penalties.
Seemingly harmless actions such as kissing the driver or perhaps engaging in a heated argument can lead to distractions, resulting in fines ranging from €100 to €500.
The severity of the penalty depends on the situation. When a traffic officer deems these actions to constitute reckless driving, the maximum penalty will be imposed, and six points will be deducted from the driver’s license.
The DGT emphasises the crucial need to keep attention focused on the road to prevent accidents and ensure the safety of all road users.
With distracted driving being a leading cause of accidents, the DGT has identified common behaviours leading to fines of €200 and the loss of four licence points.
Notably, running out of fuel, driving without proper footwear, or poorly secured luggage can all attract fines.
Furthermore, from July, the DGT wants the installation of the ISA device in vehicles, a technology designed to control speed based on road signs and GPS data.
The objective of the ISA device is to help maintain speed control, depending on the section of road the vehicle is on. As yet the ISA device is not compulsory.
The debate on the effectiveness of fines in promoting road safety has been raging for years, with no signs of it stopping any time soon.
Traffic authorities assure that the primary aim of these penalties is not to generate revenue, but rather the safety and wellbeing of the public.
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Originally from Doncaster, Yorkshire, John now lives in Galicia, Northern Spain with his wife Nina. He is passionate about news, music, cycling and animals.
They’d be far better off giving drivers, say 2 years, after passing their driving test to pass an advanced driving test to teach them to drive and make progress safely otherwise they have to go back and repass their initial test and start the cycle again??? Not sure how that would actually work, but hey people need to learn to drive properly under day to day conditions.
If they really are serious about stopping drivers from being distracted, they need to ban children from cars, unless there is a sound-proof barrier between the driver and the children! Kids, screaming and fighting, even kicking the driver’s seat while s/he is driving is very common, as is the driver turning around to scream back at their offspring. It’s really all about the money….
Again, it is all about taking control, nothing to do with road safety it is all about control, they want to fit a divise in your car and many new cars already have these divises in them as per the corrupt EU requirements, it is about tracking you and it would not surprise me it this new equipment would be able to stop the car from moving if the government so wished. I genuinely believe many road speeds are ridiculous and I am talking as a person who works on roads and highways, always set too low and on purpose, easy cash earners in all cases. The Spanish government has a tendency to introduce many laws that restrict the Spanish peoples freedoms and rights, their corrupt excuse is always ´´SAFETY´´ but this is nonsense, they don´t ask the public if these laws are required, Franco has gone but Spain is more facist today than it ever was but then again the Spanish governments historically never cared about the Spanish people, it has always been about absolute control and nothing has changed, the Spanish people need to look hard at the laws being introduced in dribs and drabs because when in place they are very dangerous for personal freedom
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