New 30km speed radar begins ticketing drivers

The Government of Navarra has started issuing fines through a new section-speed radar on the A-68 between Cortes and Tudela, a 30.5-kilometer stretch used by drivers leaving Zaragoza toward Pamplona, Logroño and Bilbao. The system began sanctioning motorists after several months of testing, according to Heraldo de Aragón and a Navarra government statement. The cameras monitor only the carriageway heading toward Tudela and calculate average speed across the full route. Vehicles averaging more than 120 km/h can be fined automatically. ### Where is the radar, exactly? The A-68 radar covers the stretch from kilometer point 115.027 to 84.483 in the decreasing direction, from Cortes to Tudela, according to the Navarra government. That places the start of the monitored section just after drivers cross from Aragón into Navarra from the Zaragoza area, Heraldo reported. (heraldo.es) Heraldo de Aragón said many of the motorists affected will be Aragón residents using that corridor to travel north and northwest. The route is a common link from Zaragoza toward Pamplona, Logroño and Bilbao. ### Why is this stretch drawing attention? The 30.5-kilometer control zone is one of the longest section-speed radars in Spain, Heraldo reported. (heraldo.es) The newspaper said only one longer system is currently in operation nationally, on the CL-615 in Castilla y León at 32.8 kilometers. The Navarra government said it chose the A-68 site because it is considered a conflict point with existing camera infrastructure on gantries. In that stretch, officials recorded 76 accidents between January 2022 and June 2025, including 19 crashes with victims. Those crashes left one person dead, one seriously injured and 25 with minor injuries, according to the government statement. (heraldo.es) ### How does a section-speed radar work over 30 kilometers? Spain’s traffic authorities say section-speed radars do not measure speed at a single point. Instead, cameras record a vehicle’s license plate and time at the start and end of the monitored section, and the system calculates average speed over the distance traveled. (navarra.es) The DGT says these systems are designed to keep drivers at an appropriate speed continuously along a route rather than slowing only at a fixed camera. Heraldo said that is the main change for motorists on the A-68 stretch, because brief braking before a control point does not affect the average-speed calculation. (seguridadvial2030.dgt.es) ### What penalties can drivers face? The A-68 section is limited to 120 km/h, and drivers whose average speed exceeds that threshold can be sanctioned automatically, Heraldo reported. The newspaper said fines range from 100 euros to 600 euros depending on the severity of the offense. The most serious cases can also bring the loss of between two and six license points. (seguridadvial2030.dgt.es) The Navarra government did not detail the full sanction scale in the statement surfaced in search results, but it said the devices were installed to moderate speed and improve road safety. The new section radars add to Navarra’s existing fixed and mobile enforcement network. (heraldo.es) ### Who is operating it now, and what changes next? Amparo López, Navarra’s interior councillor, said when the system was presented that the main objective was to reduce crashes on the A-68, Heraldo reported. The radar was announced in December 2025 and then spent several months in testing before entering sanctioning service this week. (navarra.es) Local reporting by El Periódico de Aragón said Navarra activated the radar before completing a transfer that will allow the regional government to manage fine revenue from July 1, 2026. Until then, the rollout marks the start of active enforcement on one of the main outbound routes from Zaragoza toward northern Spain. (elperiodicodearagon.com) (heraldo.es)