There are many of us who have been demanding for a long time that the General Directorate of Traffic ensure that the coercive and sanctioning measures to prevent traffic violations, fines, are accompanied by an effort to improve driver training and, in essence, of the culture of road safety.
We do not know if this measure will achieve the proposed objective, but at least it does seem like a good step forward. The DGT will “give away” two card points to drivers and motorcyclists. And to get those two extra points, up to a maximum of fifteen, all they have to do is pass a safe and efficient driving course.
Now, what are these courses? What requirements are they subject to?
The DGT rewards drivers and motorcyclists with two card points
Initially, the DGT had proposed to teach safe driving courses for motorcyclists and promote them rewarding the motorcyclists who attend these workshops, theoretical and practical, with two points of the permit for points. The objective is to contribute to improving the safety of motorcyclists, due to the dramatic figures that continue to be recorded in traffic accidents and the rise of urban mobility on motorcycles due to the growth of urban delivery services.
But the DGT finally went further, and extended the courses, and bonuses, to all driversas well as expanded the curriculum to efficient driving, as expressed in Annex VIII introduced in the reform of the Law on Traffic and Road Safety and effective as of March 21, 2022:
The safe and efficient driving courses will aim to train drivers in different techniques aimed at avoiding accidents and reducing fuel consumption and polluting emissionspreparing the driver to solve dangerous situations, adopting good practices in driving and equipment, and avoiding risky behaviors
What will these DGT courses consist of?
In recent months, the DGT has worked to start implementing these courseswhich are again defined as expressed in annex VIII of the Law on Traffic and Road Safety:
Lessons. Courses of different classes can be taken, differentiating between types of vehicles and environment: safe and efficient driving on the highway or in urban areas. The content and requirements of the safe and efficient driving courses will be those established by Order of the Ministry of the Interior, and must in any case have a minimum duration of six hours including theoretical training and practical training and specific content on respect for cyclists and drivers of personal mobility vehicles as drivers of the most vulnerable vehicles
We already see that these courses will consist of theoretical and practical training with a minimum duration of six hours. Also that special emphasis will be placed on the protection of those considered to be the most vulnerable drivers, who are cyclists and users of personal mobility vehicles.
When will these DGT courses be taught?
At the time of publishing this article, the General Directorate of Traffic is selecting the first candidates for monitors and trainers to teach motorcycle and passenger car driving courses. December 1 expired the deadline for submit applications. In the next few days the first list of admitted will be published. And on January 9, 2023, the accreditation sessions for trainers will take place in Madrid, Seville, Zaragoza, León and Albacete, with two qualifying tests, theoretical and practical.
After the tests, and in the coming months, The DGT will announce the driving courses that have been accredited and, therefore, will be eligible to request the bonus of two points of the permit for points.
How can I receive the two DGT bonus points?
In order to receive the bonus of two points from the DGT, it will be necessary to meet the following requirementsas established in section 5 of article 63 of the Law on Traffic and Road Safety, which details the following:
5. Passing the safe and efficient driving courses referred to in Annex VIII, provided that the established requirements are met and there is a positive balance, will compensate with two additional points up to a maximum of fifteen points and with a frequency maximum of one course of each type every two years
And the specific requirements are the following:
- Have a positive balance on the points card
- Two points will be compensated up to a maximum of 15. Those drivers or motorcyclists who have the maximum balance in their permit for points will be able to take the safe and efficient driving courses but, obviously, they will not be rewarded with more points for having reached the maximum balance.
- The maximum frequency to receive the bonus is one course of each type every two years.