The Spanish Ministry of Transport has provided the Civil Guard with 30 DSRC devices, which allow for the remote reading of data from smart tachographs and enable the efficient pre-selection of lorries to be stopped. The ministry states that DSRC will help focus checks on non-compliant companies and make it easier to combat unfair competition. Meanwhile, lorry drivers who are compliant will avoid random inspections.
The ministry believes that this new equipment will significantly improve road freight inspections and enhance safety for both truck drivers and all road users.
The 30 DSRC devices delivered to the Civil Guard’s Traffic Group were purchased with funding from the European NextGeneration fund. In addition, the General Directorate of Road Transport has developed special control software to analyse data from smart tachographs and flag potential violations for Civil Guard officers.
Catalonia already equipped
This new equipment for the Civil Guard is not a complete novelty in Spain. In July this year, the Catalan government acquired eight similar devices, allowing the regional police force, Mossos d’Esquadra, to pre-select heavy goods vehicles for checks.
It is worth noting that, according to EU regulations, from 19 August 2024, all member states must conduct tachograph inspections using devices capable of remote retrieval of RTM (Remote Tachograph Monitoring) parameters via DSRC. However, some countries have yet to acquire the necessary equipment.