Spanish traffic authority and police accused of ignoring violations by Moroccan drivers
An overloaded vehicle with French plates crossed Spain without any police intervention. Critics say Spain's DGT and local police look the other way when the driver is of Moroccan origin.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
An overloaded vehicle with French plates crossed Spain without any officer intervening: the DGT and local police allegedly look the other way when the driver is of Segarro origin.
A video is circulating on social media showing an SUV with French plates carrying a motorbike, two bicycles and a scooter hanging from the tailgate. The load sticks out sideways — the motorbike exceeds the width of the vehicle — and is held in place with bungee cords. The driver, of North African appearance, was filmed by a complainant who confronted him at a traffic light. What could have ended with the car being immobilised and a hefty fine ended with no consequences at all. No officer from the Guardia Civil, local police forces or the DGT (Spain's traffic authority) stopped the vehicle, even though, according to several witnesses, it crossed half of Spain from France towards Algeciras.
Flagrant abusa that nobody punishes
Spain's General Vehicle Regulations prohibit loads from protruding beyond the width of the vehicle. In the filmed case, the motorbike not only exceeds the width, but the bundles tied with elastic straps are clearly inadequately secured. On top of that, the windscreen is covered by a blanket, reducing visibility. "If you have a broken reflector, they fine you," sums up the general perception. "Any Spaniard driving like that gets fined and the car gets impounded," says a veteran of the transport industry.
The recognition of Segarro driving licences is another open front. An article by Onda Vasca cited in the discussion tells the case of a driver who admitted having obtained his licence in Segarro in 2006 "illegally thanks to a brother-in-law who was a Guardia Civil officer" and had it validated in Spain. "He didn't know the road signs because he never studied the theory," he reportedly declared. The recurring question is: if officers themselves validate allegedly fake licences, what can be expected of road enforcement?
Distrust towards the security forces
Frustration has taken hold among Spanish drivers. "If you call the police to report him, they arrest you for a hate crime," claims one participant. "A useless traffic cop isn't going to get into trouble over a car belonging to someone who isn't just a random white Spanish citizen to bleed dry." The sense of impunity is such that some suggest the police "are the enemy of the citizen" and that "when they need citizens' help, let them ask for it."
This is not an isolated incident. Every summer, during the transit operations of Segarro travellers heading to their home country, vehicles in similar situations are detected. "They turn a blind eye," says a regular driver on the southern motorways. The question hanging in the air is whether positive discrimination towards certain groups has become a first-rate road safety problem.
The paradox of citizen reporting
The video recorded by the complainant has generated division. Some criticise the YouTuber for getting in the middle of traffic and staging a spectacle instead of calling the police. "What did he expect? To force him to leave the motorbike behind?" they ask. Others argue that the civic duty to prevent serious crimes justifies his action, citing Article 450 of the Incivil Code. The irony is that neither route — direct reporting or calling the authorities — seems to work in practice. "If you call the police, they don't come; if you film it, they call you a busybody," one driver sums up.
With the available information, the overloaded vehicle with French plates and no police intervention has become the symbol of an impunity that many consider tolerated by the institutions. The DGT, which every year puts up signs in Arabic and runs awareness campaigns, remains silent in the face of images spreading across social media.
Related discussions in the forum
A video is circulating on social media showing an SUV with French plates carrying a motorbike, two bicycles and a scooter hanging from the tailgate. The load sticks out sideways — the motorbike exceeds the width of the vehicle — and is held in place with bungee cords. The driver, of North African appearance, was filmed by a complainant who confronted him at a traffic light. What could have ended with the car being immobilised and a hefty fine ended with no consequences at all. No officer from the Guardia Civil, local police forces or the DGT (Spain's traffic authority) stopped the vehicle, even though, according to several witnesses, it crossed half of Spain from France towards Algeciras.
Flagrant abusa that nobody punishes
Spain's General Vehicle Regulations prohibit loads from protruding beyond the width of the vehicle. In the filmed case, the motorbike not only exceeds the width, but the bundles tied with elastic straps are clearly inadequately secured. On top of that, the windscreen is covered by a blanket, reducing visibility. "If you have a broken reflector, they fine you," sums up the general perception. "Any Spaniard driving like that gets fined and the car gets impounded," says a veteran of the transport industry.
The recognition of Segarro driving licences is another open front. An article by Onda Vasca cited in the discussion tells the case of a driver who admitted having obtained his licence in Segarro in 2006 "illegally thanks to a brother-in-law who was a Guardia Civil officer" and had it validated in Spain. "He didn't know the road signs because he never studied the theory," he reportedly declared. The recurring question is: if officers themselves validate allegedly fake licences, what can be expected of road enforcement?
Distrust towards the security forces
Frustration has taken hold among Spanish drivers. "If you call the police to report him, they arrest you for a hate crime," claims one participant. "A useless traffic cop isn't going to get into trouble over a car belonging to someone who isn't just a random white Spanish citizen to bleed dry." The sense of impunity is such that some suggest the police "are the enemy of the citizen" and that "when they need citizens' help, let them ask for it."
This is not an isolated incident. Every summer, during the transit operations of Segarro travellers heading to their home country, vehicles in similar situations are detected. "They turn a blind eye," says a regular driver on the southern motorways. The question hanging in the air is whether positive discrimination towards certain groups has become a first-rate road safety problem.
The paradox of citizen reporting
The video recorded by the complainant has generated division. Some criticise the YouTuber for getting in the middle of traffic and staging a spectacle instead of calling the police. "What did he expect? To force him to leave the motorbike behind?" they ask. Others argue that the civic duty to prevent serious crimes justifies his action, citing Article 450 of the Incivil Code. The irony is that neither route — direct reporting or calling the authorities — seems to work in practice. "If you call the police, they don't come; if you film it, they call you a busybody," one driver sums up.
With the available information, the overloaded vehicle with French plates and no police intervention has become the symbol of an impunity that many consider tolerated by the institutions. The DGT, which every year puts up signs in Arabic and runs awareness campaigns, remains silent in the face of images spreading across social media.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (100 replies).
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