SPEED limits on secondary roads will drop from 100 kilometres per hour to 90 from January as part of a battery of measures to cut crash deaths, which have been rising in number over the past four years.
Spain's General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), part of the ministry of public works and infrastructure, recalls that only around two in 10 fatal accidents happen on motorways, with the rest being on back roads, in built-up areas and on secondary highways or non-motorway trunk roads.
The vast majority are on 'B-roads', where speed limits vary but, where otherwise unstated, sit at 100 kilometres per hour.
New Year's Day will be a stay of grace, but from January 2 onwards, cars and motorbikes will have to stick to 90 kilometres per hour or less on 'B-roads', and vans, lorries, buses and coaches to 80 kilometres per hour.
At the moment, the limits are 100 for cars and motorbikes, 90 for buses and vans, 80 for lorries on roads with hard shoulders of at least 1.5 metres (4'11”) or at least dual carriageways, and then 90, 80 and 70 respectively on smaller, narrower roads.
The DGT says a 10-kilometre-per-hour drop will translate to a reduction in road deaths of 10%.
Fatalities on Spain's roads have risen gradually since 2013, when 1,680 drivers and passengers were killed, to 1,830 in 2017.
Tougher penalties for using a mobile phone at the wheel will be introduced from January 2 – doing so will cost drivers six licence points, not three as at present, making this an offence comparable with drink- or drug-driving, reckless driving, refusing to be breathalysed, having speed-camera detectors in the car, or driving at more than 50% above the speed limit.
Failure to use a seatbelt, a proper child restraint system or booster seat, or a helmet on a motorcycle will cost four licence points rather than three.
Unmarked vans will patrol the highways to watch out for drivers on the phone.
