Spain Considers Curbing GPS App Radar Alerts on Motorways
Spain's DGT plans to limit precision of speed camera notifications on apps like Waze and Google Maps, mimicking France's broad 'danger' warnings to.
Key Points
- DGT targets precise real-time alerts on Google Maps, Waze, SocialDrive to undermine surveillance evasion.
- Proposes French-style broad 'danger' warnings instead of exact locations in safety areas.
- Pairs with 'express controls' that are hard for apps to detect quickly.
- Part of 2025-2030 plan to reduce road fatalities.
Spain's General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) is considering regulatory changes to curb the precision of radar and speed camera alerts on GPS apps along motorways. The move targets platforms such as Google Maps, Waze, and SocialDrive, which currently provide real-time locations of mobile devices and specific enforcement operations.
The DGT argues that these precise notifications undermine surveillance efforts and diminish the impact of checks aimed at serious violations. Rather than banning alerts outright, the proposal would limit their accuracy in safety-critical areas, adopting a French-style approach. There, apps can warn of a "danger" over a broad road segment but not pinpoint the exact control location.
This comes alongside the DGT's increased use of short-duration "express controls," which are harder for apps to publicise widely. The effort forms part of the agency's strategic plan for 2025-2030, focused on cutting road fatalities.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: