SPEED CONTROL IN MAJORCA: NEWS

NEW RADARS IN MAJORCA AND ROAD SAFETY

This is certainly a sensitive subject. Coming to Mallorca, renting a Ducati motorbike, riding along beautiful roads in total relaxation can sometimes lead us to disregard our speed. This distraction, however, could cost us dearly.

After the occurrence of many road accidents, the Government of the Balearic Islands has decided in 2025 to intensify controls on the entire road network by installing many new generation Radars with advanced technology, use of drones, use of mobile radars and increased police patrols.

This issue, as mentioned, is certainly delicate and complex and should be tackled with data and statistics in hand. But we do not want to frighten motorcyclists, we just want to call everyone to responsible driving. Economic damages, fines with or without deduction of points hurt everyone's wallet but are nothing if we think of what an accident would cost us both in economic and physical terms.

Talking about accidents for us motorcyclists is always an uncomfortable subject that we often try to avoid but which unfortunately exists and must be addressed. Respecting speed limits can however reduce the risk of having an accident and certainly limit the damage should one occur (it is a law of physics known to all: the higher the speed, the greater the damage...).

In this article, I will give you a list of installed fixed radars updated to January 2025. It is not a secret list, you will find it in many applications and already installed on many navigators. It is in no way meant to be an incitement to break the highway code, but just to make you aware that if you are going to race, Mallorca is one of the least suitable places to do so.

As far as safety on the roads in Mallorca is concerned, below I will list the most common pitfalls you may encounter. This topic is also covered in other articles on this site and is also summarised verbally to each customer at each rental in the bike handover briefing. Although it may seem repetitive, I will never tire of educating both first-time visitors and those who are not up-to-date on the traffic situation, even though they come here regularly.

1. Hired cars driven by tourists: a car drives in front of you on a tourist road, suddenly braking seemingly for no reason to see a place, photograph a landscape or miss a turn; if you are driving relaxed, be careful.

2. Cars on hairpin bends, there are quite a few on the island; the car stops in the middle of the bend due to driver indecision: if you are behind very close and have to stop in the middle of the bend, it will be impossible to hold the bike and you will become unbalanced. Be careful, always wait until the person in front of you has gone through the whole hairpin bend before tackling it.

3. Lane encroachment. This phenomenon happens quite frequently; Majorca's roads are mostly narrow with blind bends and often inexperienced drivers, car drivers, cyclists but also other motorcyclists tend to cut corners. Beware you may find a vehicle coming towards you in your lane.

4. Cyclists in groups: Majorca is considered a cycling paradise. Often groups of cyclists caught up in the excitement forget that they are on public roads also used by others. Travelling in parallel rows obstructing traffic, not giving way so as not to have to stop and unbuckle their shoes, cutting corners at high speed on descents, are just some of the behaviour of cyclists that you should be very careful about.

Especially dangerous are groups of cyclists travelling in the opposite direction to you. Often impatient motorists will try to overtake them with sometimes dangerous manoeuvres, completely invading your lane. Be very careful.

5. Wild goats: There are several wild goats living on the island of Mallorca. As such they roam freely and you may find them in the middle of the road grazing the grass or simply resting in the shade. Apart from a scare and subsequent reaction, wild goats are mild animals that usually run away and never attack vehicles. Keep calm and at low speed dodge them without frightening them.

6. Moss and slippery roads: While the situation on Majorca's roads, the asphalt, is for the most part good or very good, there are some exceptions. On some roads, even in hot but humid weather on stretches where the sun never beats, a very slippery green moss forms. Be very careful because even though our Ducatis can rely on sophisticated electronic aids, the laws of physics are ungovernable. Be very careful and remember that this phenomenon does not only occur on the MA10 (Serra de Tamuntana) but also on other stretches.
7. Radar: they are only a danger to your wallet. All our Ducatis are registered with the DMV and the police. If you commit an offence, the authorities will have access to our customer data and the fine will be issued in Spain, in the EU or outside the EU. Don't think you can't pay it.

In conclusion: come to Mallorca and enjoy a ‘DUCATI EXPERIENCE IN MALLORCA’ satisfactory is also partly up to you. We make you aware of the main pitfalls. We provide you with high-end Ducati motorbikes, which are always scrupulously checked and maintained first by official Ducati workshops and always before each rental by MMR22. We provide you with clothing equipped with CE approved protectors. We give you advice and assistance 24/7, but you will make the difference; ride carefully and cautiously. Unfortunately even if we are in our right minds as motorcyclists we are always the weaker party. We learn to ride defensively, always.

Enjoy this fantastic island and its wonderful roads safely!

Here is the list of Radars:

The Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) regularly updates the list of radars operating on roads in Spain, including those in the Balearic Islands. On the islands, there are currently 54 radars in operation, of which 24 are fixed radars positioned at specific, non-mobile kilometre points.

RADARS IN MAJORCA

In Majorca, the radar network is extensive and distributed over several roads. In total, 40 radars are active on the island, of which 18 are fixed. Mobile radars, on the other hand, are moved between determined points and placed in official vehicles. These mobile radars can be hidden or placed on tripods, making it difficult for drivers to predict their position. During the day, these devices can change location.

One of the most closely monitored stretches is the Ma-1, the motorway between Palma and Andratx. There are three fixed radars on this road, two of them located at Km 15.5 and Km 23. One of these, located at Km 15.5, is particularly ‘strict’ with fines.

The road Ma-13, which runs from Inca to Palma, stands out for having the highest number of radars. In total, there are four control devices: three fixed and one mobile. The fixed radars are located at Km 8.9 (downhill direction), Km 16.1 (uphill direction) and Km 46.3 (uphill direction).

In addition to fixed and mobile radars, Majorca also has stretch radars, which monitor speed on a given route. In addition to the one recently installed on the Manacor road (Ma-15), at Son Ferriol, in the direction of Palma (between Km 5.2 and Km 6.5), the DGT plans to install two more: one on the road from Palma to Sineu (Ma-3011 between Km 1.5 and Km 2.5) and another on the road from s'Arenal to Cala Blava (Ma-6014 between Km 1.5 and Km 2.3).

Unlike fixed radars, stretch radars calculate the average speed between two points, making it more difficult to avoid penalties.

Radar control map Mallorca