The Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) has more than two thousand speed cameras throughout Spain. In total, they have collected more than 500 million euros in fines, and this figure is expected to be even higher in 2025: 122 new cinemometers will be installed during the year (24 of them are already in operation since January).
The most dangerous radar in Madrid
A study carried out by the Automovilistas Europeos Asociados (AEA) organization has revealed that some cinemometers increased their sanctioning activity in 2023, up to 500% in certain cases. An example of this is the one found at kilometer 20.2 of the M-40, the most dangerous in Spain.
The radar at kilometer 20.2 is the most active in Madrid and the one that issues the most fines. In 2023 it broke records by reporting 118,149 drivers, a figure that contrasts significantly with that of the previous year (in 2022 it issued 17,412 fines).
The excess of infractions at this point is due to the fact that the radar is located in a section where speed is limited to 80 kilometers per hour. As the rest of the road can be driven at 100 km/h, many drivers do not expect the speed to be reduced and end up being reported.
AEA has pointed out that only 50 radars in Spain record 30% of the total number of penalties: Andalusia, the Valencian Community and Madrid take the lion’s share of the fines. On the other hand, Asturias and Extremadura are the communities with the fewest speeding fines in the country.
Due to the increase in penalties, Mario Arnaldo, president of the AEA, affirms that “the DGT should rethink its speed camera policy, since at these points it is not achieving the objective of avoiding speeding, nor accidents, converting the radars into mere collection instruments”.