£200 Fine and 4 Points Deducted: Think Twice Before Ignoring a STOP Sign

Respecting traffic signals is crucial, especially those indicating speed limits, as these are significantly lower in urban areas compared to interurban roads, particularly in residential zones. Driving at reduced speeds allows for greater reaction time to traffic signals.

Other signals that must be taken seriously include the STOP and 'give way' signs. At a STOP sign, you must halt, even if no vehicles are visible, as one might appear suddenly. With 'give way', ensure no other vehicle has priority. As Jorge Ordás, Deputy Director of Mobility Management and Technology at the DGT, explains, "Ignoring a continuous line or a STOP sign poses significant risks and potentially dangerous consequences. The intelligence applied to monitoring devices now allows us to control these behaviours to correct them."

In 2021, the last year with complete statistics, 1,093 drivers involved in accidents with casualties failed to respect a STOP sign. This dangerous action is among the most common infractions, following speeding (4,739), not maintaining a safe distance (4,981), ignoring other priority regulations (2,345), and partially invading the opposite lane (1,552).

For this reason, the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) has begun testing an automatic system to monitor these intersections. A video camera, calibrated to detect complete vehicle stops, continuously records vehicles approaching a STOP-regulated intersection and sends footage of those failing to comply to the Automatic Complaints Processing Centre. Ignoring a STOP sign incurs a £200 fine and a deduction of 4 points from the driving licence. The DGT aims to eliminate nearly 1,100 accidents with casualties caused annually by this issue and plans to extend this system to the most dangerous STOP intersections after trials.

To date, the DGT has installed these radars in two specific locations. One is at kilometre 13.95 of the M-222 road, in the increasing direction, in the Community of Madrid. The other is in the province of Cuenca, precisely at kilometre 68.68 of the CM-220 road, also in the increasing direction.

Another increasingly common accident is the side collision. In 2021, there were 217 deaths from this type of crash, 5% fewer than in 2019, in the 8,163 accidents involving casualties (41 fatalities). The growing presence of multi-lane roads with junctions is one reason, and the lack of respect for continuous line markings is another, perhaps more significant.

To monitor compliance with these markings, the DGT is also testing a combined system of two cameras that photograph all vehicles on junctions and the right lane of the main road they are joining. When a vehicle is detected in a short sequence on the acceleration lane and then, without completing the continuous line, in the right lane of the main road, the conclusion is clear: the continuous line was not respected! The system sends the photos as evidence, and the Automated Complaints Processing Centre processes the fine (£200), although no points are deducted in this case.