February 14, 2023
Operation Truck&Bus includes checks on speed, driving hours, technical points and paperwork and runs until 19 February around the country.
Trucks and lorries are the second most common type of vehicle on Spanish roads and passenger coaches transported more than 135 million people in 2021. Spain's Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) runs a surveillance and control campaign every year focused on the safety of goods vehicles and buses. This year, the 'Truck&Bus' operation, carried out on a European level through RoadPol (European Roads Policing Network), will run until 19 February.
Guardia Civil and police officers are monitoring the conditions of trucks and buses on the roads as well as their drivers. Checks include the vehicles' speed, driving hours, possible technical issues, the safety of the cargo transported, vehicle and driver documentation, the use of seatbelts by driver and passengers, driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs or using a mobile phone at the wheel.
Surveillance will be carried out on all types of road in Spain and at any time of the day. All vehicles in these categories are subject to the checks, regardless of the their country of registration or the nationality of the driver.
Accident rate and previous campaign figures
The DGT has highlighted that despite trucks and industrial tractors representing only 7.7% of the total number of vehicles on the roads in 2021 and buses not even 0.2%, both have a significant weight as far as road safety is concerned.
According to accident rate figures, the total number of deaths in accidents involving any type of truck, considering both the occupants and third-party deaths, accounted for 19% of fatalities in 2021. Buses, despite registering one more fatality than in 2019, were only involved in 2% of the total death toll.
In the 2022 'Truck&Bus' campaign, 19,039 vehicles were stopped (1,394, in Malaga province) and 5,236 drivers (122, in Malaga) were found not fully compliant with certain regulations.
The most common offence (55%) involved excessive driving hours. In Malaga, the biggest problems were related to having the correct documentation of the vehicle and their technical deficiencies.
Some 185 drivers nationwide were detected driving at speeds higher than those allowed, specifically 175 trucks and 10 buses.
Source:- surinenglish.com