Speed cameras in Malaga

Malaga is one of the best Spanish destinations, as it offers a perfect balance of beach, sun, shopping, culture, nightlife and gastronomy. The A-7 (the highway that runs parallel to the coast) and the A-45 (also a highway, this one connecting Malaga and Cordoba) concentrate most of the speeding cameras. You can be aware of their precise location hiring a GPS (DGT informs about their location in advance).

As the list of spots controlled by radar is updated monthly, radar than providing an information that will be outdated in a matter of weeks, I think it's more useful to provide the link where the information will always be up-to-date:

1. List of speeding cameras and areas under strict control: http://www.dgt.es/es/el-trafico/control-de-velocidad/malaga/index.shtml * 
2. Map highlighting the roads under strict speeding control: http://www.dgt.es/Galerias/el-trafico/control-de-velocidad/Malaga.jpg 

* vocabulary tips: "radar fijo" means "fixed speed camera". "Radar tramo" means "road section average speed camera". "Radar móvil" means "mobile speed camera". 

You migh be interested in our article about the tolerance thresold in Spain.

Can I still get the reduction for a Spanish fine I got last summer?

Some readers still doubt they can get the reduction in their speeding fine six months after the offence. Let's make it clear once again, there are only two conditions for the reduction to be applicable,

1. The car driver is not registered as a driver in Spain.
2. Calling the Spanish Traffic Authority and insisting that you have only just received the fine.

You have all the information you might need in our Paying a speeding fine in Spain page.

Oh, and one more thing, if you are considering a trip to Spain in 2016 don't forget that DGT is moving some of its speeding cameras to secondary roads (most of them were in highways). 

NEVER EVER request a copy of the fine in English

This is a comment I received a couple of weeks ago. I think it deserves its own space here:

I pay my fines, so when I received one after my trip to Tenerife I did my best to pay. The information in English was terrible, so I sent a letter asking for a copy of the fine in English. Three weeks later I received a copy of the fine... in Spanish again. I called the number in the letter, and a lady kindly informed me that they received my request and as per their regulations I was disputing the fine and had lost any chance to get the 50% discount.

I was shocked, so I thanked her and hung up. After browsing the Internet I found advice as to how to pay online and paid 300 euro. 

I think those 150 euro extra I paid would have been better invested in Spanish lessons, tbh. 

So trust me, do NEVER EVER request a copy of the fine in English. It will cost you time and money.

The next time I get a fine from Spain I'll leave it in a drawer, I'll call them 6 months later and I will pay my fine, still not knowing what they say, but with my reduction.

DGT's CTDA

DGT: Spanish traffic authority.

CTDA: DGT's center for automated speeding fines.

The letter you get if you have been caught speeding in Spain is sent by CTDA (Centro Tratamiento Denuncias Automatizadas in Spanish). If you need to reach them, do not hesitate to dial their number, there is always an English speaking operator available.

Tolerance threshold Spain, clarified

As of February 19th, the DGT announced that the 'tolerance threshold' in speeding cameras across most of Spain will be the same; Catalonia and the Basque Country will keep their very own margins, and they keep them locked under seven keys.

In areas where the speed limit is 90 km/h or lower, the tolerance thresold is 7km/h. So if you drive at 57 km/h in an area with a limit of 50 km/h, you are free to go... At 58 the speed camera will take a pic of your car and you are likely to receive a letter within a few weeks.

The image shows speed limit, speed necessary to activate the camera, and the table used to calculate the amount of the fine.

Do not hesitate to leave a comment for any question or doubt.

Fines in Spain: sample letter

Did you receive a letter from the DGT (Spanish Traffic Authority)? The information in the letter is organized in numbered areas, as you can see in the picture.

1. Date of the offence, time and record number: you will need both the date and the record number to pay for the fine (the record number, 'número expediente' in Spanish, has 12 digits).
2. Legal stuff: article and law you broke.
3. Where: precise location where the offence took place.
4. Why: a brief explanation of the offence (in speeding fines it includes both the car speed and the limit speed for the road).
5. Vehicle data: if the car was rented, you can check your contract and confirm that the car rental company didn't make a mistake.
6. Your name and address: if you have received the letter these data are likely to be correct.

You don't really need to read / translate all the text below, all the information you need is there. 

Pro tip: you can reply to the letter and request that they send you a copy in English or in your mother tongue (the address is below the Spanish coat of arms).

Spanish traffic law: FAQ

Question: Does your advice apply to every Spanish fine? 

Answer: no. Spanish traffic law is a bit of a chaos, and you can be fined by DGT (Spanish Traffic Authority), by Trànsit (Catalan Traffic Authority, only in Catalonia), by Trafikoa (Basque Traffic Authority, only in the Basque Country) or by local authorities (only in urban areas). Our advice is limited to the DGT fines; you can identify them by the file number, a twelve digit code with the following format: 00-000-000.000-0. However, the Spanish traffic law is the same, no matter who operates the speed camera. As DGT is responsible for over 80% of the speeding fines we will focus our attention on those.

Question: Can I be fined for going 1 km/h above the speed limit in Spanish roads?

Answer: no. No matter what you read elsewhere, speed cameras in Spain won't activate unless you drive 7% above the limit (if the speed limit is 100 km/h, you'll be fined for going 8+ km/h above the limit). 

Question: I want to pay half of the fine amount, but I am well over the 20 calendar days limit. What can I do? 

Answer: if you are either a Spanish citizen or a legal Spanish resident, chances are scant that you escape from paying the full amount. If you live anywhere but in Spain, you just need to dial 0034902508686, quote your file number/s and insist that you just found out about the fine/s. You will be given a grace day, and will be allowed to pay with the reduction within the next 24 hours. As this is undoubtedly the most asked question, you have all of the information you might need here.

Question: can I know where the speed cameras are before starting my trip?
Answer: the location of the speed cameras is published by the Spanish government, but speed cameras operated by traffic authorities like the Guardia Civil can vary and are not published. However, the speed cameras of which the precise location is published are responsible for well above 60% of the fines, so it is always good to check this map before renting a car in Spain (to see only speed cameras, leave "radares" box checked and uncheck the others; the map works fine in Internet Explorer, not so good in other browsers).