Keep up todate with driving laws...
 

Just received this from Sabadell (I have my car insured with them)

THE NEW DGT REGULATIONS

Since April there have been new regulations for Spain’s roads. Here we give you the lowdown about some of the main changes to keep you up to date and make sure no mishaps spoil your summer!

https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/pr...rame_52212.png Using (or holding) mobile devices while driving.

https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/pr...frame_5221.pngNot using seat belts or other mandatory protective devices properly.

https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/pr...e_5215_PaO.png Not keeping the mandatory minimum distance from cyclists
(1.5 m).

https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/pr...e_5218_wKZ.pngThrowing objects on or near a road which might cause accidents or fires.

https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/pr...ame_25_M54.png Going 20 kph over the speed limit when overtaking by car or motorbike is no longer allowed.


https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/pr...g/frame_26.png No stopping or parking in bike lanes or cycle paths.

https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/pr...e_5219_8up.png Breaching traffic restrictions in regulations for pollution incidents and low-emission zones.

Happy motoring....

Re: Keep up todate with driving laws...
 

Thanks.
For those who speak/wish to practise their Spanish, the DGT (Trafico) publish a very useful magazine about every 2 months, called "Seguridad Vial"; it's free, & all you need to do is register on the DGT website. It always has a traffic quiz, multiple choice, which is interesting as well as various safety tests for things like child seats.

Re: Keep up todate with driving laws...
 

A lot of those are already laws...

throwing objects to start a fire is one example...

Re: Keep up todate with driving laws...
 

As ashtrays are not included in new cars but an additional charge the public need reminding...

Re: Keep up todate with driving laws...
 

I’m not sure if it’s a regional law but in Valencia you can be fined for riding a bike or scooter whilst wearing in the ear or over the ear headphones. Only the jawbone headphones and portable speakers are allowed

Re: Keep up todate with driving laws...
 

I saw that on one of the police programmes on Dmax last year. The guy got a multa

Re: Keep up todate with driving laws...
 

Yep, the other day there was a Police check going into Alfaz de Pi and all the scooters were being stopped and checked.

Re: Keep up todate with driving laws...
 

I find the fact that electric scooters are still permitted on roads amazing considering how dangerous they must be. Here in torrevieja they now have scooters you just pick up and pay with by credit card. Tourists now use them to get from places like Punta Prima to Torrevieja( 8 km) in droves.The fact that they can use them on the connecting road is crazy. I find it pretty scary on a bike and usually take the back streets but these people come the whole way on the road- some are whole families. Oh and tourists ( Swedes it seems ) seem to think its fine to use them on pavements and head up one way streets in wrong direction. Crazy!!

Re: Keep up todate with driving laws...
 

They are allowed on cycle paths if the town council specifically allows it in a bylaw, otherwise they can only go on the road like any other vehicle max 25km/h (unless the council passes a bylaw lowering the limit) and in theory they should follow the same rules everyone else does (stopping at traffic lights, letting people cross at pedestrian crossings, etc...).

Must wear a helmet. Not allowed elsewhere on the pavement or padestrian zones. They can park where there's parking spaces for bikes or "motos" (motorbikes or the other kind of scooter).

Circular con patinete eléctrico en un carril bici, ¿está prohibido?

Re: Keep up todate with driving laws...
 

For all these laws, and changes to them, I wonder how much police effort is put into actually enforcing them? :confused:

I live in the US, North Carolina to be specific, and there wasn't much effort before the pandemic, but most traffic policing seemed to end during the early lock-down phase and has been really slow to recover, in large part because of reported manpower shortages. So while, apart from a few, generally well known small-town speed traps, there wasn't much effort put into enforcing most traffic laws before the pandemic, but now there is even less. :unsure:

Generally it seems as if the police in the US wait until there has been an accident before ticketing someone for doing something illegal/ unsafe, though somehow I got a ticket three years ago for an "unsafe manoeuvre" despite not only not causing an accident but not causing anyone to swerve, brake, or even sound their horn - for reasons unknown I had apparently annoyed a sheriff's deputy, and the ticket was tossed out by the court, presumably for lack of evidence. So do Spanish police enforce laws proactively, or mostly when there has been an accident?

Re: Keep up todate with driving laws...
 

Only drove a couple of times in NC, mainly the outer banks and that was 20+ years ago but then it was a police state for traffic tickets; in every state, especially commonwealths... That is how the cities and state made a big portion of their money... Blake light out - ticket, crossing the white line, ticket, no 3-5 second stop or rolling thru a stop light, yield sign - ticket... This was being pulled over, not at a checkpoint...

How things have changed but I think only in your local....

Re: Keep up todate with driving laws...
 

In the Communidad Valencia you must also have insurance

Re: Keep up todate with driving laws...
 

Nah, it seems to be coast to coast - there simply aren't the police to spend their time writing tickets. .... In NC (now) having one brake light out is not a ticketable offence - you need three to pass the annual inspection (MOT), but won't be stopped for having one out. Most cars seem to roll though STOP signs too - and it hasn't caused an explosion in accidents, which isn't surprising to any one from the UK, as it is patently obvious that 90%-95% of STOP signs should be Yield (Give Way) signs anyway. :rolleyes: .... Also roundabouts are coming - and in increasing numbers! :thumbsup:

A LOT has changed in the 19½ years since I came to NC - there has been an explosion in wineries - there are now about 200 (I only knew of one when we first arrived), and there are over 300 breweries (up from probably low single figures when we arrived) , and we lost our last entirely "dry" county in November last year. And effective just a few weeks ago, there is now a permanent law (superseding a temporary pandemic law) that allows people to stand in the street with a drink in their hand, and even walk around between establishments (at least within a defined down town "social area" of cities that choose to participate)! :blink: The impending end of civilization as we know it, predicted by the evangelical crowd when they liberalized the brewing and bar/ restaurant laws in 2008, never came to pass. :lol:

Re: Keep up todate with driving laws...
 

so what you are saying is that if your automobile will not pass it's MOT (islander word) if it does not have 3 working brake lights but driving around with 2 is ok? I will give you the benefit of the doubt and say that the one that is broken is the so called 3rd one and not the tail lights & maybe, just maybe the copper/pig would look the other way.... If it does not pass (this word again) MOT then it is not road worthy so it is a ticket able offence in all the 50 states...

Inspection is the American word..... (e) I see you included that and added MOT for the islanders to understand, sorry (/e)

Re: Keep up todate with driving laws...
 

For goodness sake this is the Spain forum, What happens in the US is not relevant to our members.

Back on topic please.

Rosemary