Drivers will need to take a test to recover lost licence points under new traffic laws
Sunday, February 16, 2014 @ 6:24 PM
NEW road traffic legislation will mean that drivers who have lost points from their licences and want to get them back will have to pass a test, and foreign motorists who commit offences can be chased overseas for their fines.
Unlike in the UK where a 'clean' licence has no points and those gained are eventually 'spent' and automatically removed after a certain number of years, Spanish licences start with 12 points which are deducted when driving offences are committed and to recover them, the licence-holder has to undertake a 're-education and awareness' course at a local driving school as they do not expire.
Until now, attending the course and receiving a certificate in confirmation from the driving school meant the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) would automatically replace the lost points – but with the new law, the candidate will have to go to a DGT office, based only in provincial capital cities, in person to take a test and will only recover their points once they have passed.
The government says the test will not be the same as the one taken by learner drivers.
Also, a greater number of driving schools will be given authority to run courses, which at present is only held by a select few.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com