New Traffic Radars Detect Whether Driver Is Wearing a Seatbelt or Not

Spain’s General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has installed a new set of radars on around 70 of the country’s secondary roads, which are capable of detecting whether the driver is, in fact, wearing a seat belt or not.

What’s more, these hi-tech devices are also able to tell whether the driver is circulating while using his mobile phone at the same time, and can identify at what speed the vehicle is travelling at.

The new radars have a similar appearance to the current machines in use, and are equipped with cameras that capture 50 images a second.

For motorists carrying out any sort of illegal action at the wheel, such as those mentioned above, it will be extremely difficult to get away with it. The radars and cameras will be able to identify the car in question and process the equivalent denuncia.

With this new initiative, the DGT is aiming to step up and improve safety on our secondary roads, on which during the traffic body’s latest control campaign, 1,349 motorists were fined for not wearing a seat belt and another 1,113 for using their mobile phone while driving.

At the same time, 57 motorcyclists were sanctioned for driving without a helmet.

During the same study, it was determined that 77% of all deaths on secondary roads involved drivers and passengers who weren’t wearing a seat belt. This is despite the fact that driving on these types of roads, as opposed to national roads or motorways, brings with it twice the risk of being involved in an accident.

Wearing a seat belt, whether driving a vehicle or entering as a passenger, is something that should come automatically to everyone. Yes, you may only be travelling a short distance and be a great driver yourself, but you never know who or what is coming round the corner and whether their driving standards are up to yours.

Not only that, but if you are caught driving without a seat belt, you could incur a fine of up to 200 euro, which, unless you have money to burn, we’re sure you could do without!

Source: www.abc.es