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Driving in Spain

General

In my view, Spain is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, with its variety of landscape and climate it’s a mini-continent. Discovering the many different regions of Spain including the sun drenched Costa del Sol, bordering the Mediterranean, in the deep south, to lush green Asturias and Cantabric coast in the far north, should be a an unforgettable experience. The following guidelines, (listed in pure alphabetic sequence), will help ensure that your motoring voyages run smoothly.

Every measure will be taken to ensure the data is up to date and accurate, but if there are any doubts you should contact the appropriate authority.

Accidents

When possible, road users involved in an accident should assess the situation and the priority of measures to take in order to guaranty traffic safety without destroying forensic evidence always provided that this does not jeopardise the safety of the victims or the traffic, they should attend to the victims and request the assistance of the rescue services, adequately mark the presence of their vehicle on the road, try to move it to the hard shoulder or lay-by, then take the necessary steps in order to ensure. Place two warning triangles one 50 metres in front of the car and another 50 metres behind, so that they are visible to approaching drivers from at least 100 metres.

Those witnessing an accident are obliged to tend to the victims and seek the attendance of the emergency services. Casualties that are clearly non serious need not be reported to the authorities or their agents. SOS telephone posts are normally available on motorways only, in all other roads presence of traffic police is high. In any case, the assistance of other drivers should also be sought.

In the event of an accident or assault on the road, it may be reported in English by calling the police on 902 102 112. Should the need for counselling arise, drivers are advised to contact their consulate in the area.

Visit http://www.tourspain.co.uk/GettingAround/motoring.htm for further details

Alcohol

The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.05%.

In recent years things have got much stricter in Spain and the police are stopping and testing drivers frequently. Penalties can be severe and may result in a prison sentence.

Visit http://www.marbella-lawyers.com/DrunkDriving.shtml for legal data.

Bail Bonds

These are no longer a legal requirement for Spain and most insurance companies have stopped issuing them.

Breakdown Services

For most drivers in Spain, vehicle breakdown and recovery services are included in their insurance policy, and the insurance firms conclude contracts with the breakdown and recovery companies to provide this service. Make sure your policy includes a recovery service. For an extra premium you can often have the insurance company provide you with a courtesy car while your car is out of action.

In Madrid, Barcelona and other large towns: Police, tel. 091; Fire, tel. 080; Ambulance, tel. 092. Elsewhere refer to the telephone directory. The Traffic Control Department maintains a network of emergency phones along main roads and provides roadside assistance; call the operator and ask for auxilio en carretera. The national motoring club is Real Automóvil Club de España (RACE), FIA and AIT member, José Abascal 10, 28003 Madrid, tel. 447 3200, office hours from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. Friday) on weekdays.

Bulbs

A spare set of light bulbs for your vehicle must be carried at all times.

Children

Children under 12 cannot travel in the front unless using a suitable restraint system.

Conversion Km/Miles

1 mile=1.6km

1km=0.6 miles

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Documents

The following documents must be carried with you at all times:-

·         Driving licence

·         Certificate of Insurance

·         Registration Document, (for a Spanish Vehicle this is the Circulation Permit)

·         Passport or Residencia

·         If applicable, ITV (Inspección Tecnica de Vehiculos) (MOT in UK)

Here we have a serious dilemma – if the car gets stolen you are likely to loose some very important documents, particularly your passport, (which can take an age and a lot of inconvenience to replace), and the vehicle registration document, which will prove very useful to the car thieves! I recommend you carry photocopies of important documents, (ideally authenticated by the local police). You may be asked to produce the originals at the police station, but you should avoid the dreaded Spanish traffic fines.

Expect fines in the region of €400 - €1200 for not having your documents with you if needing to produce them for any reason.

Driving Licence

Visit http://www.idealspain.com/Pages/Information/drivelicence.htm, for detailed information on this subject.

Emergency Services

Fines

Visit http://www.spainlawyer.com/guialegal/guialegal.cfm?IDCAPITULO=05020000#05020100000000 for a complete detail on traffic fines.

Fire Extinguisher

Not legally compulsory, but highly recommended.

First Aid Kit

Not legally compulsory, but highly recommended.

Fuel

Petrol is considerably cheaper in Spain than is the case in either the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. In Spain, leaded petrol is readily available and together with unleaded, comes in two grades - 95 and 98 Octane. Diesel is always available and in Spain, more people opt for this fuel than in the UK, being cheaper and giving better mileage. Diesel cars do not incur or carry any additional taxes. Most garages also offer two stroke fuels in a variety of pre-mixtures.

Whilst tourist areas, towns and cities are well served with petrol stations, this is not the case with rural areas. If you intend doing a lot of driving inland it may be a good idea to carry a can of petrol. By law you may carry 10 litres in a secure can approved for the purpose.

In quieter areas, forecourts may close during the night. In the larger towns, cities and holiday resorts, self service is the norm but in quieter areas it is still common for a forecourt service to exist. However, self service is creeping in all over Spain and it won't be too long before the pump attendant has gone for ever. Petrol is normally purchased in quantities of 5 Euros - sometimes 10 at some garages.

We mention this because at night, for security reasons, many filling stations will not give change and you must take on board petrol to the exact amount of money you are going to proffer. Most but not all garages accept Visa and MasterCard but look for the sign before you fill your tank.

Most Spanish petrol pumps are colour coded with the universally accepted colours of green for unleaded and black for diesel.

As with the UK and most other countries, Spanish petrol stations offer a wide variety of confectionary, foods, cigarettes and even alcohol from their forecourt shops. In built-up areas many service stations sport full blown restaurants, which normally serve excellent food at reasonable prices.

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Glasses

Drivers who require glasses when driving must carry a spare pair.

ITV, (MOT)

Spanish cars over 4 years old must be inspected annually at the local vehicle inspection centre, (ITV, Inspeccion Tecnica de Vehiculos, equivalent to UK MOT). These centres are usually run very efficiently, with tests to brakes, lights, engine emission and general road worthiness, run on a production line basis. Unless there is a very long queue, you are probably talking about a 30 to 40 minute period to complete. Foreign cars can also be tested, but the result will only apply while the vehicle is driven in Spain.

The ITV certificate must be carried in the car and a plastic sticker, showing the last date the vehicle was tested, must be displayed on the front windscreen.

ITV Centres in Andalusia

Lights

Dipped lights should be applied during daylight hours when poor visibility warrants.

Minimum Age

The minimum driving age in Spain is 18 years.

Mobile Telephones

The use of a mobile telephone, other than a true hands-free, whilst driving is now banned in Spain, even at the side of the road. You have to pull off the road completely away from any traffic. This law is widely ignored by both Spanish and foreign drivers, but be aware that the police are becoming more and more vigilant on this subject.

Navigational Aids & DVDs

The driver must not use any screen based aid to navigation (or entertainment) while on the road. You must pull completely off away from traffic. (It makes sense really; after all, you are not allowed to drive down the road with a map on the steering wheel). DVD players and screen based devices other than those directly needed to operate the car must be positioned so the driver cannot see them.

Overtaking

You may not overtake on the right (inside lanes) on the roads unless there is a slip road or another road indicated and you are taking it. (Even when the driver in front insists on hugging the outside lane at a speed of 40 km/hr!) Give way to traffic from the left unless otherwise signed, especially on roundabouts.

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Parking

Visit Guide to Parking in Spain.

Pedestrian Crossings

If you are British and new to Spain beware of pedestrian crossings – they are very dangerous, as most Spanish drivers regard them as decoration!

The Law for pedestrian crossings until recently is not as strict as in for example, the UK where a driver is always at fault if the vehicle hits a pedestrian on the crossing. You must step onto the crossing, remembering to look left, and show the palm of your hand to any approaching vehicles. Previously, they still did not have to stop, but a new Law involving penalty points means that the drivers can be penalized now for not stopping. Many tourists are injured, some killed each year, for only looking right when crossing the road.

It still amuses me slightly when stopping to let a pedestrian cross, the incredulous stare I get in return. Be aware that some Spaniards use the pavement by the pedestrian crossing as an ideal spot to just stop and have a gossip, with no intention of crossing! Old habits die hard and so I can’t help regarding a pedestrian crossing as sacred!

Roads & Speed Limits

The principle roads system in Spain has improved dramatically over the last two decades, with motorways or toll roads linking all the important cities. This is in no small part due to significant grants from the European Union. The minor roads have also improved, but you will still come across some poorly maintained surfaces.

Types of road:-

·         Autopista (motorway) - A or E - prefix to road number: these can be toll roads (peajes). Maximum speed 120 kph (73 mph).

·         Autovia - dual carriageway, not necessarily with a central reservation.  Speed limits vary from 80 to 140 kph.

·         Carretera Nacional - N or CN - prefix to road number, main roads. 100 to 60 kph.

·         Carretera Comarcal - C - prefixes country roads. 100 to 80 kph.

·         Carretera Local - highway. Speeds are as signed, but usually not more than 100 kph.

Please note that the speeds are somewhat less for various classes of vehicles including towed trailers/caravans.

Road Tax

As with most other EU states, Spain too has a road tax which must be paid on behalf of each and every vehicle using Spanish roads.

There is no national road tax; instead, each municipality sets its own rate although the minimum and maximum which can be charged is defined by law.

Large towns and cities tend to have higher rates for road tax and where the population exceeds 100,000 it is possible to find that the rate is twice that of the minimum. In relation to the UK, the average Spanish road tax is little more than an inconvenience and is among the lowest within the EU. Over the past 10 years it has been increasing and there is little to suggest it will not continue to do so. Road tax is based on what is known as the fiscal horsepower of the vehicle and that which is used when calculating an individual’s wealth tax.

Safety Triangles

Two Safety Triangles must be carried in your car at all times.

Seat Belts

The use of seat-belts, front and rear, is compulsory for the driver and all passengers except when parking or reversing. Also excluded are pregnant women, disabled passengers or any one suffering from a grave medical condition. In these cases, a medical certificate in Spanish or an official translation if the certificate has been issued in any of the EU member states must be carried at all times when in motion.

Failure to comply is considered a serious offence.

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Slow Lanes Going Uphill

When there is more than one lane on an uphill section of road, the outside (right-hand) lane is usually a slow lane which is identified by a broad dotted lane-separator line. Other drivers will expect you to pull over into the slow lane unless you are overtaking a slower vehicle already in this lane. These lanes are usually limited to a kilometre, and merge back into the fast lane. You must yield to cars in the fast lane. Sometimes a minimum speed is painted onto the road surface at the beginning of each lane.

Traffic Lights

These are normally situated on poles at the side of the road, but may also be suspended from a gantry above the road. Be very careful when you are driving into the sun because it is quite possible to drive through a red light. In Spain the sequence is red, green, amber and then back to red. Amber means that you must stop at the stop line. It is only legal to continue if you have crossed the line when the amber light illuminates. Generally, Spanish car drivers respect traffic lights, but moped riders are a law until themselves. Beware of these dangerous menaces.

Turning Left

Do not pull into the middle of the road to turn left if there is a solid line in the centre of the road. Very often in these cases you need to turn right and follow the loop crossing the main route via traffic lights. These types of crossing, which are much safer than traditional crossroads, are preceded by a “cambio de sentido”, (change of direction), sign.

Visibility Vests

You must now carry two visibility vests inside your vehicle, to be put on before you leave your car, in cases of accident or breakdown.

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Vocabulary

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