Tenerife Speed Camera Sabotaged Weeks After Installation on TF-24 Highway
A newly installed section control speed camera on Tenerife’s TF-24 highway has been disabled by vandals just two weeks after its activation.
Road safety in Tenerife has been hit after a surveillance camera on the TF-24 highway was sabotaged. Local media reported that the device, located at kilometer 4 between La Laguna and La Esperanza, was put out of action just two weeks after it was installed on January 15, 2026.
This incident highlights rising tensions over the use of new monitoring technology on the island’s roads. Unlike traditional speed cameras, which only check your speed at one specific spot, this device used a "section control" system. These systems are becoming more common across Spain to improve safety in busy areas. They work by reading license plates at two different points and calculating your average speed between them. This approach is designed to stop drivers from braking suddenly when they spot a camera and then speeding up again.
These devices follow strict calibration rules. For roads with a speed limit below 100 km/h, there is a 3 km/h tolerance margin. For example, if a driver is clocked at 59 km/h, the fine is calculated based on 56 km/h to ensure fairness. Vandalism like this not only costs taxpayers money but also disrupts efforts to keep traffic moving safely on one of the island’s busiest routes.