The DGT recently introduced two new average speed camera systems, the systems are in accident black spots one near Madrid and one in the Malaga area.

The cameras are intended to reduce the amount of accidents caused by excessive speed in the areas and to eliminate the practise of braking before a traditional speed camera which in itself causes accidents.

The Madrid camera system is located on a 3.5km section of the AP-6 from the mouth of the tunnel Guadarrama at the 53km marker and has a 100kmph limit. The Malaga system is on the AP-7 in the Torrox tunnel with cameras at both ends of the 1km section.

The system uses multiple cameras over each lane at both ends.  The cameras read number plates and time the journey to give an average speed through the section.  If the average speed is over that specified (100kmph) for the distance then the information will be sent electronically to the Center of Treatment of Automated Denunciations in Leon and a prosecution will be posted to the owner of the vehicle.  It is then up to the owner to pay the fine or return the paperwork declaring who the driver/rider was.

A grace period will be in place up to the 1st Feb 2011 whereby a letter is being sent to all offenders but no fines are being issued.  The fines for speeding in these areas after the 1st Feb will be between 100 and 600 Euros dependant on the severity, points may also be deducted from your driving licence.  If the speeding is excessive then you may fall foul of the "Law of Road Security and the General Regulation of the Circulation"  which states that, if you are 60kmph more than the limit in an urban area or 80kmph in an interurban area, you may be sent to jail for 3 to 6 months, have 30 to 90 days community service and/or be banned from driving for 1 - 4 years, in 2010 this penalty was applied to 224 people.