Although it was approved at the end of 2021, it is only now that a regulation is starting to be applied that will seek to prevent accidents on this type of road, the most numerous in the statistics.
In February 2021, just over a year ago, we reported how the director of the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT), Pere Navarro, was announcing some of the new features of the future Law on Traffic, Motor Vehicle Circulation and Road Safety, which came into force last week. Even then he was talking about safe overtaking on secondary roads, where a large proportion of fatal accidents are concentrated.
This idea has materialised in a ban: on exceeding speed limits by 20 km/h on this type of conventional road when overtaking other vehicles. Neither cars nor motorcycles may exceed the established speed limits in order to overtake.
The removal is in line with the Safe System principle. The aim is to eliminate or reduce risks. Overtaking another vehicle is a risk. In fact, 2 out of 3 fatal accidents occur on conventional roads. As we have also seen here recently, deaths in head-on collisions on this type of road are numerous. In 2019 there were 239.
Video of the DGT campaign for the entry into force of the Traffic Law
Other new features of the law
In Navarro’s words, “environmental policy is incorporated into the Traffic Law, obliging road users to protect the environment, with express references to episodes of high pollution and to low-emission zones [...] for the first time, it establishes the regulation of autonomous vehicles to provide them with a legal framework capable of guaranteeing road safety requirements”.
Speed, as we have seen, but also distractions, safety devices and alcohol are other issues addressed by the new law. For example, the fine for handling a mobile phone will apply simply for holding the device in your hand (the points deducted go from 3 to 6, double).
As for seat belt use, offenders will have 4 points deducted -instead of 3, as until now. The statistics remain stubborn: 1 in 4 people killed in road traffic accidents is still not wearing a seat belt.