According to data from the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), more than 5.5 million complaints were made against drivers in 2022 alone. Among the most common infractions, exceeding the speed limits or not wearing a seat belt sneak into the top positions of the statistics every year. However, there are other groups that are not exempt from fines, such as pedestrians or people traveling as occupants of vehicles. Below, we will tell you about all the possible infractions and, where applicable, whether they are the responsibility of the person who commits them or the driver.
The use of seat belts once again emerges as one of the most sensitive assumptions. You should know that if one of the passengers traveling in your vehicle is not properly buckled, the infraction will be the responsibility of that same person. The corresponding penalty is 200 euros, without withdrawal of points from the license in the event that the offender had a driving license. Remember that drivers who do not wear a seat belt face paying a fine of the same amount and losing four points on their license.
Another of the regulations that affect car passengers, specifically the smallest ones, is the use of child restraint systems for minors whose height is less than 135 centimeters. These seats must be placed, whenever possible, in the rear seats of all cars with up to nine seats. As it seems logical to guess, in case of non-compliance with this rule, the responsibility falls on the driver, who must pay a fine of 200 euros, with the withdrawal of four points from the driving license.
On the other hand, the responsibility for ensuring that all occupants of the vehicle maintain an adequate posture also lies with the driver. If any of them lies down, puts their feet on the dashboard, puts their arms out the window or adopts any other position that puts their safety at risk, the driver of the car faces a fine of up to 100 euros. It should be noted that these sanctions do not apply to professional drivers, such as taxi drivers, who will never be held responsible for the infractions of the occupants.
The helmet is an essential safety element when traveling by motorcycle. However, unlike what happens with the seat belt in the car, if the person who is the occupant does not wear it or does not use it properly, the responsibility lies with the driver. This infraction is punishable by a fine of 200 euros, without the withdrawal of points from the license.
Likewise, the driver must be responsible for ensuring that children under 12 years of age who travel as passengers on motorcycles or mopeds comply with all safety measures. These are, in addition to wearing the helmet, traveling in the seat behind the driver, astride and with your feet resting on the side footrests. If any of these rules are breached, the fine for the driver will also be 200 euros.
