The points system is having its second birthday this month. The free daily newspaper Qué! reports that since Spain instituted the points system in 2006, 4.1 million points have been taken away and 7,162 people have completely lost their licences. Points are lost by any number of reasons, including speeding, running red lights, driving without a seatbelt and drunk driving. During the course of this year, there have been 244 less deaths as consequence of driving accidents than last year, a 20% decrease.

Spanish lawmakers must see this as an opportunity to step up the safe driving campaign at the same time as they tweak other aspects of the traffic law. Up until now, new drivers have started with 8 points, while those who have driven for 3+ years started out with 12. Starting next July (2009), those who haven’t committed any driving infractions in 3 years will be rewarded with two additional points, bringing the maximum total up to 14. Keep up the safe driving folks… just because we get a few extra points doesn’t mean we should drive pedal to the metal now.

It’ll still be a while - between 2009 and 2010 before seeing the end to this project. But drivers in Andalucia will surely appreciate the change provided by this new stretch of toll roadway, construction to begin in a week. The need has shown itself repeatedly for improvement, since this section between Alto de las Pedrizas and Puerto de la Torre becomes congested quickly at peak times, especially during the summer months. For those unfamiliar with the area, it affects about 25 km of the principal route between Malaga and Antequera, with intermediate destinations of Casabermeja and Almogía. The new motorway will have wide curves plus long tunnels and bridges to allay the steep shifts in geography of the present A-45.

The project’s cost, upwards of 360 million euros, is projected to be recovered by the toll over a period of 40 years. Average toll for the entire route will be 1.80€, with some variation depending on the season and vehicle type. Planners hope this price tag will be offset by the convenience offered to motorists, since the 120 km/h limit will allow them to complete the trajectory in about 15 minutes.