Critics Slam Spain’s Deadly Overtaking Rule Change As Blatant Cash Grab

3 hours ago

Spain’s overtaking U‑turn could beryllium driving up decease tolls. Spanish driver's licence granted by nan Spanish DGT. Credit: Lucia Fdez, Shutterstock

Deadly numbers successful nan accelerated lane

Scrapping Spain’s long-standing 20 km/h cushion for overtaking connected single-carriageway roads has backfired spectacularly, according to critics nationwide. Fatalities linked to overtaking rocketed 54.5 per cent successful conscionable 1 year, leaping from 13 to 29 deaths, according to a shocking study by nan University of Zaragoza that mined nan DGT’s own clang database.

What changed and why many drivers successful Spain are outraged

Since March 2022, motorists have been barred from concisely speeding up to 20 km/h above nan posted limit to walk slow-coaches, or to pass people respecting the speed limit.

Instead of a neat nip-and-tuck, drivers now walk 7.5 seconds and 189 metres connected nan incorrect broadside of nan achromatic statement – 3 times longer and two-and-a-half times further than nether nan aged rule. Experts telephone that other exposure ‘an invitation to a head-on collision.’

‘Legal to lethal’ – nan experts’ verdict

‘The alteration has turned a ineligible and safe manoeuvre into a vulnerable offence in many cases,’ warns traffic-accident boffin Prof Juan José Alba López of the University of Zaragoza. His forensic maths shows nan consequence of a smash soars moreover though, paradoxically, immoderate eventual effect velocity drops by astir a fifth. Translation: cars collide astatine 80-90 Km an hour head-on instead of 120 or 140 Km an hour in theory. But the problem is, many, galore much cars collide.

Radar love?

Critics opportunity cash, not caution, steered nan change. DGT leader Pere Navarro admitted nan tweak ‘may favour nan early installation of much average-speed cameras, which are fairer than spot traps‘.

Less separator for overtaking intends much motorists pinged, much fines paid and much money flowing into Treasury coffers – ker-ching…

Navarro’s earlier motion that ‘there’s thing incorrect pinch sitting down a lorry‘ now looks tin-eared arsenic ambulance sirens wail crossed agrarian Spain.

Public fury shifts up a gear.

Road-safety groups marque nan norm ‘reckless revenue-raising‘ and request an contiguous U-turn positive an independent crash-investigation agency – like air-crash probes but for tarmac tragedies. Politicians look mounting unit to slam nan brakes connected a argumentation immoderate campaigners dub ‘Law and fatality’.

The Verdict

When a norm designed to prevention lives ends up costing them, it’s clip to awesome right, propulsion complete and rethink. Until Spain reinstates that 20 km/h lifeline – aliases finds a smarter fix – drivers, bikers and their passengers stay trapped successful a vulnerable overtaking limbo. Do you workout patience, aliases put yourself and your family’s lives astatine risk? Is it nan government’s work to babysit drivers and take nan blame when some don‘t respect speed limits and get group hurt? Is nan caller rule a measurement back successful position of communal consciousness and general road safety in favour of a quick cash grab? You decide.