Police issue statement as tourist caught driving at 150mph in Tenerife could avoid fine

Tourists who drove at over 150mph in Tenerife could dodge fines if they live outside the European Union, according to officials. A man was recorded by friends driving on an empty stretch of the TF1 motorway on the island at speeds of up to 230km/h, around 150mph.

Footage of the speeding driver travelling at almost double the legal speed limit was shared on social media just two days ago. Spanish policeare now understood to have started an investigation into the shocking clip, but officials have stressed the motorist could dodge penalties. Speaking to newspaper Atlántico Hoy, a representative of the CSIF police union stressed fines can be hard to issue if the road user comes from a country outside the EU.

The expert said: “If the driver is not stopped at the time, the fine linked to the radar would go to the rental car company, which then passes the driver’s details to traffic authorities. If they are European, it is often possible to sanction them, but if they are from outside the EU, it is almost impossible.”

Spanish motorways, including those in Tenerife, have a maximum speed limit of 120 km/h (74mph). It means the individual was travelling at a shocking 110km/h (68mph) faster than the rules, breaking Article 379.1 of the Penal Code.

This states that road users who exceed the speed limit by 80km/h have breached a crime against road safety. Motorists who usually break the rule could be slapped with a custodial sentence or up to three months of community service.

Road users are usually forced to pay a hefty fine, usually anywhere between six to 12 months of an individual's salary. Depending on the circumstances, road users could also find themselves banned from the roads for between one and four years.

Despite this, officers stress that Spanish citizens are often treated more harshly than individuals visiting from elsewhere.

The officer added: “The same law applies to Spaniards as to foreigners, but while they are penalized with a fine and loss of points, tourists are only required to pay the fine, and sometimes not even that."