Miyagi

I think I may have finally cracked the roundabouts and spanish conundrum and, yes, i know I'm probably the last to figure it out but there may be someone whoa ctually landed in Spain after me.

As we all know, the Spanish will always drive in the outside lane of a roundabout, no matter which exit they want. Obviously, this leads to a few problems when drivers from other European countries come here for the first time. Well, I couldn't figure out the mentality so asked a local girl who was studying for her driving test. She showed me the Spanish equivalent of the Highway Code and, sure enough, it states that driving around a roundabout, irrespective of the exit to be taken, should always be in the outside lane. I asked her to ask her driving instructor what the point was of having 2 to 4 other lanes on a roundabout given the lack of logic in the highway code.

A few days later she came back to tell me that the other lanes were simply to help if there was a lot of traffic. Hmm, lack of logic there.

Anyway, a couple of days ago I heard on the radio advice being given to drivers telling them to use the appropriate lane. I don't think the Spanish driving manual has changed so should be some interesting times ahead. Of course, they didn't explain what they meant by 'the appropriate lane'.

Rosemary

Over the last few years this has been discussed many times and we have all come to the conclusion that the prime usages for a roundabout is for parking or stopping for a chat.

Rosemary

mikelincs

or offering a lift to the lonely girls standing there..

JLFS

Now, now, you two.......

lyric030250

I think it was this board, somebody posted an extract from one of the highway codes which pictorially showed outside lane for first and second exit and drift into the inside lane and out again for the third exit when safe.

This, of course, assumed a perfect four road roundabout with 90 degrees between each exit.

JLFS

Stupid as it may seem, I have been told first hand by the traffic police,that the outside lane is to used all the time, that the insides land is only to be used when doing a 360 degree trun, ie going back the same way as you came

I was told that if you are on the inside of the round about, and you try to get out, if you hit a car that is blocking the exit, the it is the driver on the inside lane who is at fault, and not the person doing the blocking in......

Incredible but true...

adra04778

The examples are on the andaulcia forum !

Lushdaddy

By the looks of the ones near me, people just drive over them.

larryX

The ‘Spanish Highway Code’ makes it clear that if you are in say the left hand (outside lane) on a roundabout, you have no right to signal that you are taking the next exit. The person on your inside does not have to give way. Thus the only legal thing to do is, to continue driving around the roundabout in the outside lane, until it is safe to move to the inside lane, then you may take an exit.

A short while ago I attended a presentation on certain laws in Spain. The presenter, an abogado, said we should be aware that in Spain, judges up hold the law, not justice. That is Spain if there is not a law which says you can do something, you cannot do it. Unlike, say in UK, where if there is no law which says you cannot do it, then you can.

After 25 years in Spain, I suddenly started understanding some things which had remained a mystery.

HBG

Spanish drivers tend to be impatient and I've learnt to follow their ways, it's safer. Unless I want to turn off at the first exit, I go into the offside lane.

To turn off at any other exit, I signal, watch my mirror and make a dash for it.

To stay in the nearside lane to turn off after the first exit around here would be suicidal.

avocados

Never had a problem whilst using roundabouts in Spain. Just follow the rules and it's simple, even to BE drivers! Why should the Spanish drive like in Britain!
The system works effectively, just get on with it.

Part of the problem seems to be that drivers are too busy doing other things rather than observing what is happening with other vehicles, hence the crashes, etc.

In Canaries, by far the worst drivers are the tourists, no respect for other car users , pedestrians nor cyclists. If they slowed down a bit, they might actually get to where they are going, without incident.

JLFS

The problem is that the "enforcers" dont seem to know the rules when there is a dispute, I have known people with the same serarios that resulted in accidents, but when blame was aportioned the results were very different.

What would be thexplanation for that?

adra04778

This link maybe of interest to some people.
www.drivinginspain.blogspot.com

Fredbargate

This may take a few minutes to download.

http://www.chiclana.es/fileadmin/use...sa/rotonda.pdf

lyric030250

that's the one Fred