Thousands fined in Spain for not wearing seatbelts or restraining children
According to the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT ↗).
Between March 10 and March 16, officials checked 448,494 cars across the country. This is a 7.6% increase in the number of checks compared to the same period in 2023. A total of 6,409 people in Spain were fined for not wearing a seatbelt or using a child restraint system (SRI). This equates to an average of more than 900 violations per day.
Violations most common on dangerous conventional roads
Most violations (77%) occurred on conventional roads. These are among the most dangerous roads in Spain, where more fatal accidents occur than on motorways. The most serious accidents are caused by lane departures.
During the operation, the National Guard Traffic Division, with the support of regional and local police, centralized control of urban and extra-urban roads.
Not wearing seat belts: a persistent problem
Of the 6,024 adults penalized, 3,088 were drivers. Another 1,291 front-seat passengers and 1,645 rear-seat passengers were also found not wearing seat belts.
By 2025, 42 of the 133 traffic fatalities will be people not wearing seatbelts.
Studies show that wearing a seatbelt reduces the risk of a fatal accident by 50%. It also prevents you from being thrown out of the vehicle or hitting the windshield. In cities, wearing a child restraint reduces the risk of death or injury by five times.
Children without proper restraint systems at risk
The campaign also found 385 children under 135cm in height travelling without a proper child restraint system or using it incorrectly. Of these, 285 were in the back seat and 100 in the front seat.
The DGT stressed that nine out of ten serious or fatal injuries to children could be avoided through the correct use of child restraint systems. These systems can reduce the risk of injury by up to 75%.
Fine for not wearing a seatbelt in Spain
Since the changes to the Traffic and Safety Act in 2022, the penalty for not wearing a seatbelt in Flensburg is 4 points. The same penalty applies for not using an appropriate child restraint system.
The DGT continues to urge all road users to comply with safety regulations, especially on Spain’s most dangerous roads.
