On Thursday, the Congress approved the amendment to the revised text of the Law on Traffic, Circulation of Motor Vehicles and Road Safety. With this approval, several precepts of the Law relating to the Points Licence have been updated.
These are the main changes:
- Distractions: The number of points to be deducted for using mobile phone devices while driving has been increased from 3 to 6. The financial penalty remains at 200 euros.
- Seat belts and protective equipment: The number of points to be deducted for not using, or not using properly, seat belts, child restraint systems, helmets and other mandatory protective equipment is increased from 3 to 4. The same penalty of 200 euros is maintained.
- Greater safety for cyclists: The safety of cyclists is increased by making it compulsory, on roads with more than one lane in each direction, to change lanes when overtaking cyclists or mopeds. In addition, the number of points to be deducted when overtaking cyclists without leaving the mandatory minimum separation of 1.5m is increased from 4 to 6, maintaining the amount of 200 euros. It is also forbidden to stop or park on cycle lanes or cycle paths.
- Objects on the road: The number of points to be deducted for throwing objects on the road or in the vicinity of the road that could cause accidents or fires is increased from 4 to 6.
- Unification of the period for recovering licence points: Two years without committing offences is the period that must elapse before a driver can recover his or her initial points balance. Until the law was reformed, this period varied according to the seriousness of the offence committed. It has been simplified so that it is easier to understand and communicate.
- Safe and Efficient Driving Courses: It will be possible to recover 2 points of the licence for the completion of safe and efficient driving courses. A Ministerial Order will develop the necessary requirements and the conditions that must be met.
- Anti-lock breathalyser (Alcoholock) compulsory for road passenger transport vehicles registered after 6 July 2022. These vehicles are required to have an interface installed for the installation of these devices.
- Overtaking: The possibility for passenger cars and motorbikes to exceed the speed limits by 20 km/h on conventional roads when overtaking other vehicles is abolished.
- Restrictions in Low Emission Zones: A new serious offence is introduced, with a 200 euro fine for not respecting the traffic restrictions derived from the application of protocols in the event of pollution episodes and low emission zones. The Climate Change and Energy Transition Law obliges municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants to establish Low Emission Zones.
- Cheating in driving licence exams. The use of intercommunication devices not authorised by law in tests for obtaining and recovering driving licences or permits or other administrative authorisations to drive or collaborating or assisting with the use of such devices, is introduced as an offence with a penalty of 500 euros. In addition, the applicant may not take the licence tests again for a period of 6 months.
- Autonomous driving: For the first time, Spanish legislation includes a reference to automated vehicles in several articles of the Traffic Law.
All these new features will come into force three months after the publication of the Law in the Official State Gazette.
