If you want to enjoy this summer and not get any scares, we warn you about the most typical fines of the summer season. General direction of traffic It usually launches campaigns during the summer with the aim of improving road safety during departure and return operations during the holidays, especially in the months of July and August.
The DGT estimates for the months of July and August 2022 are that there will be 93 million tripsThis represents an increase in mobility of 2.4% compared to the movements made last summer. The greatest increase is expected to be recorded during weekends and short trips.
To improve control, the agency announces the installation of 29 new surveillance cameras for seat belt and mobile phone use up to a total of 245. The DGT severely penalizes traffic violations. These are the most common and most prosecuted during this period.
1. Speeding
Obviously. Speed is one of the main causes of death on the road, even though we know that radars are present in many places. One fact is that 39% of drivers drive above the speed limit of the road. Fines can reach up to 1000 euros. 600 euros and the withdrawal of 6 points from your license of driving.
2. Alcohol or drug use
Summer is synonymous with sprawl, especially after two years of pandemic. Fines in this case vary from 500 euros and 4 points until the 1,000 euros and the withdrawal of 6 points from your license.
3. Use the mobile phone
Talking on the phone, answering WhatsApp messages, social media or simply carrying it in your hand while driving is a typical offence, which will result in a fine of up to 500 euros and six points on your licence in 2020. There are ways to use your mobile phone in the car legally: use the hands-free system or, better yet, stop to answer those calls.
4. Driving in flip-flops, barefoot or without a shirt
Even if you are dying of heat and your feet are boiling, these three actions punishable by law translate into 200 euros and 3 point withdrawal of identification. It is not a trivial matter.
Wearing flip-flops or going barefoot can limit foot movement and increase braking reaction time. In the case of T-shirts, the aim is to avoid chafing and burns from the seat belt. And be careful, although it is not expressly prohibited, the use of high heels is not recommended.
5. Lack of maintenance
It is very important to have the car in good condition: lights, tires, expired MOT… if you drive with your vehicle in poor condition the fine that can come to your home amounts to 200 euros without the withdrawal of points. As always at this point, we remind you of our car maintenance decalogue.
How to avoid fines
On average, the DGT issues more than 10,000 fines a day… and that doesn’t count those imposed by other administrations, such as city councils. But receiving a fine doesn’t mean that it has been properly imposed and you can appeal the fine. The back of the notification indicates the deadlines you have to carry out this function… but then you will lose the right to reduced payment (according to which half of the fine is paid). These are five ways to avoid fines:
1. Notification deadlines
There are between 15 and 20 calendar days to make objections to the imposed fine… but the state also has deadlines to meet to inform you of them. Normally, three months for the different phases of the procedure (extended to six months in the case of serious or very serious infringements). If more time passes, the fine expires… and it expires if more than a year passes between the commission of the infringement and the start of the sanctioning procedure.
2. Badly taken photo
In the objections to the fine you make, you must ask for evidence and, as most fines are for speeding or jumping a red light, a photo is essential to make the complaint. If your car does not appear, the license plate is not clearly visible, or the traffic light is still amber, you will have won a good part of the appeal.
3. Approval of devices
All radars, cameras, breathalyzers, etc. must have a certificate of approval proving that they are in proper working order. If they are not, their measurements may also be erroneous.
4. Notification errors
As we told you in the notification of traffic fines, these must be notified at home. But there are people who only receive the claim from the Treasury… and in some cases it is possible to appeal this file. They must do everything possible to locate your current address (which may be different from where the offending vehicle is registered) and notifications via Testra are not valid (unless they have been sent twice by certified mail without a response).
In some city council fines, they directly report the owner of the vehicle. This is correct if the officers stopped you when committing the offence and you identified yourself… but if this is not the case and they do not ask you to identify the driver at that time… appeal. Just like when you receive a fine for your old car (which happens all too often).
5. Ratification of the agent
When there is no evidence beyond the word of an officer (he was talking on his cell phone, he was not wearing a shirt, etc.), it is usually the best idea to ask for a report with the officer’s confirmation of his version of events. It often happens that he changes his statement, or the file has been lost (lack of evidence can be alleged), that he is so busy that he does not arrive on time and the fine expires, or that he simply does not show up and the appeal is won directly.
