A new radar will control drivers in Catalonia from April 17, according to information provided by the Catalan Traffic Service (SCT). The fixed cinemometer is located at kilometer point 33.546 of the C-17, in the municipality of Figaró-Montmany. This device will monitor the speed at which the vehicles travel in the south direction, that is, in the direction of Barcelona. The maximum allowed is 80 km/h.
The choice of this location responds to road safety reasons. And it is that, since 2010, a total of 77 accidents with victims have been registered in this section of the aforementioned road, of which 2 have been fatal and 11 serious injuries. With this measure, the organization headed by Ramon Lamiel wants to reduce speeding, which is often a contributing factor in traffic accidents. In Catalonia, in 2022, excessive or inappropriate speed was involved as a cause in 11.1% of accidents with victims on interurban roads.
This new radar brings the control points installed on the Catalan road network to almost 250. Forty of them are section and the last two began to fine on January 30 on the C-59, near Palau-Solità i Plegamans. Unlike fixed point devices, section devices calculate the average speed at which vehicles circulate between two points. If it exceeds the maximum allowed -removing the margin of error applied-, the driver will be penalized for having exceeded the speed. The fine and deduction of points varies depending on how far the allowed number has been exceeded.
The cinemometers that monitor traffic in Catalonia are distributed on both main and secondary roads. The SCT explains that it chooses the locations based on prioritization criteria of the places where it is necessary to reduce the accident rate. According to their data, "they have shown that they are effective as deterrents to reduce accidents."
Likewise, there is evidence that the higher the speed at which vehicles circulate, the greater the violence of the impact, the effectiveness of passive safety devices is significantly reduced -such as seat belts or helmets- and the risk increases. of mortality and suffering injuries with serious permanent sequelae.
Radars, together with surveillance and intensive speed control campaigns carried out by the Mossos d'Esquadra and the local Police, are currently fundamental elements for achieving the so-called Vision Zero in terms of road accidents. These speed control systems respond to the guidelines set out in the Road Safety Plan (PSV) 2021-2023 and are an effective tool to achieve the European targets for reducing victims.
The presence of speed cameras is signposted and their location is public: it can be consulted on the Servei Català del Trànsit website. The same happens with the devices that the DGT has installed on the road network that falls under its jurisdiction.
