Fines for drugged driving in Cartagena have increased by 80%

A car collision, an alcohol and drug test. Officers from the Traffic Judicial Police branch respond to circumstances like this every day. In 2024, the interventions of the Local Police team generated a total of €684,743, representing a €140,978 increase over the previous year, according to data from the police force’s report. It is also worth noting that in 2023, the income attributable to this division increased by €223,913 over the previous year, totalling €543,765.75.

This sum is divided into three components, the first of which is the revenue produced by individual report requests. The unit compiled and processed papers connected to traffic incidents that were sought by various judicial agencies and interested citizens, totalling 1,145 requests, 49 more than in 2023.

This year, the unit issued €195,243 in traffic accident reports to interested parties, marking an increase of €20,616 compared to the previous year. This sum can be divided into two categories: revenue from Police Technical Reports, which cost €260.25 and totalled €169,683, and revenue from Field Reports, which cost €65.04 and totalled €25,560.

Similarly, in 2024, municipal traffic inspectors withdrew 669 vehicles for lack of insurance, an increase of 55 vehicles over the previous year.

In terms of revenue from administrative breathalyser tests, 297 alcohol detection tests returned positive findings last year, with 148 yielding more than 0.50 mg/l and 149 yielding less than 0.50 mg/l.

For those rated very serious, the amount collected was €148,000, reflecting 148 infractions for which a €1,000 fine was imposed. The total amount to be collected for major offences was €74,500, which equated to 149 violations with a €500 fine each.

In 2023, 131 of the 271 tests that yielded a positive result above 0.50 mg/l, while 140 were less than 0.50 mg/l.

There were 12 offences under Article 383 of the Penal Code for refusing to submit to alcohol or toxicological testing, an increase of six offences against road safety from 2023.

In terms of administrative drug reports, there were 267 positive tests in 2024 for driving under the influence of narcotics or narcotic substances.

This administrative infringement entails a fine of one thousand euros, which means that if none of those fined choose to make early payment, the fine will generate a total of 267,000 euros in revenue.

Similarly, in 2023, there were 147 positive tests for driving under the influence of drugs or narcotics, an increase of 81% in 2024.

Furthermore, over the last year, Traffic Judicial Police officers have worked on multiple occasions with the Local Police Aerial Media Unit (UMA), as many local police forces use drones for accident reconstruction, as aerial photographs provide a new perspective that has not before been used. There are some accidents that, due to their intensity, type, or location, if shown in such photos, would shed considerably more light on the overall context of how they occurred and their effects.

The various software programs for planimetry and 3D reconstruction of an accident can turn 400 images into a 3D model of what happened at the scene, showing details that might be missed without seeing everything from that angle. During 2024, 10 cooperations for this type of monitoring were established.