Spain enforces 30 km/h urban speed limit and expands radar network

Spain introduced a mandatory 30 km/h speed limit on all single‑lane urban streets in May 2021, becoming the first country to apply this limit nationwide. Violating the limit incurs fines from €100 up to €600 and a loss of up to six licence points, with the highest penalty triggered when a vehicle exceeds the limit by more than 50 km/h. The Directorate‑General for Traffic (DGT) reports that the measure has cut cyclist deaths by 19 % and pedestrian deaths by over 16 % in the five years since its implementation, and overall city‑wide fatalities fell about 5 % in 2024 compared with 2019. Nine major cities recorded no road‑traffic deaths in 2024. The Guardia Civil has stepped up mobile radar checks to enforce compliance.

In 2026 the DGT and local authorities began deploying 33 new speed‑control radars—20 fixed units and 13 sectional cameras—across 12 autonomous communities as part of a programme to install 122 speed‑monitoring points nationwide. The radars record vehicle licence plates at entry and exit points of a stretch, calculate average speed and issue fines according to the speed excess. Penalties range from €100 with no points for minor overspeeds to €600 and six points for the most serious violations, with some circumstances attracting fines of up to €3,000. The rollout aims to further reduce road‑traffic injuries and reinforce the 30 km/h urban policy.