Following recent media reports about new radar cameras against illegal overtaking, a review of official information shows that Spain’s Dirección General de Tráfico currently relies mainly on aerial surveillance and video analysis to document dangerous or prohibited overtaking. As of today, there has been no official announcement of a nationwide rollout of special automatic overtaking radars.
On its current overview pages on surveillance devices and monitored road sections, the DGT describes the use of fixed and mobile cameras and the analysis of footage to penalise offences. Key components include the authority’s aerial resources, known as Pegasus. In a statement dated 28 June 2026, the DGT explicitly highlights aerial surveillance as a means of securely documenting risky behaviour from above. Follow-up action depends on the severity of the offence and is taken by the Agrupación de Tráfico of the Guardia Civil.
In addition to speed checks, the authorities occasionally use specialist installations that record lane changes, crossing solid road markings or behaviour on high-risk stretches. According to DGT information and publicly available lists of devices and road sections, these installations are limited to specific locations and placed according to risk. The DGT’s roadside traffic cameras also serve to regulate and monitor traffic; fines are based on the specific evidence in each case.
Image-based monitoring is complemented by preventive measures. These include delineated lanes in roadworks, clearer markings and targeted police checks, which the DGT regularly announces during busy periods. Several programmes under the Road Safety Strategy 2030 embed this combination of technology, infrastructure and enforcement to curb risky manoeuvres, particularly on rural roads.
Specialist media in Europe report on new sensor technology and AI-powered image analysis that could automatically detect prohibited overtaking. For Spain however, a nationwide introduction of such special overtaking radars has not been officially confirmed. Changes with nationwide legal effect would be announced by the DGT or the Ministry of the Interior and documented in official notices. The current position in Spain is therefore an intensification and more targeted use of existing surveillance tools, not a confirmed, nationwide technological change.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).