Two wheels, fun and comfortable in and out of town

The enthusiasm for motorcycles in Spain is not that surprising given the climate and the problems parking in some of the most populated areas.

In the south of Spain many cities are crammed full of motorbikes, scooters and mopeds. They are often squeezed into every available space. This mode of transport is more environmentally friendly than a petrol or diesel guzzling car, is cheaper to run and takes up less room in the city centre.

Three of the first four towns for most motorbikes per inhabitant are in the province of Málaga. Rincon de la Victoria tops the table with 71 per inhabitant whilst Mijas has 62 per inhabitant. Velez Malaga was fourth with 55 behind Ceuta.

Gerona has the most scooters with 100 per inhabitant in Blanes, 90 in Sant Feliu de Guixots and 83 in Lloret de Mar.

When it comes to mopeds then Cipiona and Rota in Cádiz are one and two with 76 and 66 mopeds per inhabitant respectively.

In the summer riding a motorcycle can be much more comfortable and fun. With such little annual rainfall you can also use them almost year round. If you have a larger machine, you can also get out of town and enjoy the fairly traffic free motorways and it is a great way to get out into the countryside.

Insurance prices for two-wheeled vehicles vary significantly from company to company and for different models too. For the larger sports bikes for example, it can be harder to find competitive prices but they are out there. For the lower powered scooters there are many more insurers but it pays to shop around.

By using an independent broker, they will search the market for you making it easier for you to find a suitable deal.

You will also have someone to help you in the event of a claim. Whilst an independent broker obvious cannot change an insurance company’s policy conditions to suit your claim, they can work with you to see that you are being treated fairly within those conditions.

If you would like a no obligation quotation, then please ask for a quotation form by completing the quote form with as much detail as possible.

Statistics from the DGT.es website.

Blue lights for emergency vehicles in Spain

Blue lights for emergency vehicles in Spain

This week will see the introduction of blue lights for emergency vehicles, such as ambulances and fire engines in Spain. It is the start of a programme that will run for two years.

Currently, many emergency vehicles have orange lights, the same as agricultural vehicles, dust carts and road sweepers.

The plan is that with all emergency vehicles carrying blue lights then there will be less confusion for motorists. With slow vehicles and roadside maintenance vehicles no longer using the same colour flashing lights as an ambulance or fire engine, motorists will be able to identify more easily an emergency vehicle.

The blue lights will only be used for emergency vehicles. Many other countries have adopted the use of blue lights for emergency vehicles and this new regulation will bring Spain more in line with its neighbours.

Image: DGT

What should you do when you see an emergency vehicle with its lights flashing?

  • Continue in your lane and slow down gently.
  • Don’t brake suddenly and make sudden changes of direction. Drive calmly.
  • If it is necessary, move to the side of the road to make it easier for the emergency vehicle to pass. Use your mirrors and signal clearly.
  • Respect and follow the instructions of emergency personnel or police officers if they are there giving instructions.

No Parking in Spain

no parking car insurance spain

Despite what you might see, especially in some smaller towns, there are rules for parking in Spain and a series of signs and road markings to help you avoid getting it wrong. Fines are high and the inconvenience of marching from one building to another to settle up with the police and then the compound will ruin your day.

You will often see people double parked, hazard lights on whilst they drop the children off at school, visit the cigarette shop or in some rare cases actually sit in a nearby restaurant and have dinner. As you would expect this is illegal, as is parking on a zebra crossing or too close to a junction.

There are a Parking car insurance spainnumber of road markings and signage that help you understand where you can park in Spain. Here we will attempt to point out some of those rules to help you avoid unnecessary traffic fines in Spain or perhaps worse having your car towed away to the municipal compound.

Let’s start with some basics. A large white letter “P” on a blue background or a variation is pretty common worldwide and means you can park your vehicle. You may be asked to park side by side with either the nose of the vehicle or the rear of the vehicle up against the kerb. This is known as “estacionamiento en bateria”.

The alternative is “estacionamiento en linea” where you park with the nose of your vehicle behind the rear of the car in front.

However what about the signs below? What do they mean?

A round sign with a red border, blue background and a red cross (fig.1) means that you cannot park. It also means you can’t stop and drop someone off or pick someone up.

The version with just one red line also means you cannot park but you can drop someone off or pick someone up (fig. 2).

These signs can be accompanied by an array of words or numbers which alter the meaning. For example, if it has what looks like a capital letter “I” in the middle then means that you cannot park in this area on odd days (fig.3). If the sign has what looks like the capital letter “I” twice then you cannot park on even number days. So if it is the first of January you cannot park on a street with the sign shown in fig.3. However, you could park there on the second or the fourth or sixth.

There are other variations on this theme. You might see “Mes Par” written on the sign in white writing (fig.4). This means that you cannot park in the zone when a month is an even number, that would be February, April, June etc.. Alternatively if it says “Mes Impar” (fig. 5) then that indicates no parking in January, March, May etc. Fig. 9  tells you that you cannot park in the zone from the 15th to the 31st of the month. Maybe there is one on the other side of the road marked “1-14”.

Other signage indicates that you cannot park in a zone on certain days, between certain hours. This sign (fig. 6) indicates that you cannot park to the left of it between 08:00 and 14:00 or between 16:30 and 20:30 on working days, unless you are loading or unloading. So, you can park in this area on Saturday or Sunday or public holidays. You can also park here at 21:00 at night or at 15:00 in the afternoon.

I cannot speak for all of Spain but the sign shown in fig. 7 has become prevalent in the area where I live. This sign is restricting where you can park your scooter or motorbike. It is usually put at the entrance to a street and states that scooters, mopeds and motorbikes can only be parked in designated zones. That means you cannot park them anywhere else in the street. If you choose to ignore it and park in the street outside of the designated zone you could be fined and/or towed away. The designated zones for these vehicles are usually painted with white lines or yellow lines. The word “moto” is also painted on the ground.

The “prohibido estacionar or vado” (fig. 8 click on the image to see full size) are often erected outside the entrances to car parks underneath blocks of flats, entrances to businesses or private garages. They are purchased from the local town hall. Basically, they give the owner of the sign the right to call the police and have your vehicle towed away if you are blocking their entrance.

In Spain a single solid yellow line near the kerb also means no parking.

There are other road markings that will help you stay the right side of the parking laws. Parking bays painted with white paint usually mean that the parking is unrestricted. If the bays are painted with blue paint then there is normally a limit to how long you can park and/or there may be a fee to pay in the nearby parking meter to. If you exceed your time in the blue parking zone you may be fined. The penalty can be settled immediately, using the same machine you bought your ticket at. This will result in a reduced fine and is far more convenient. The ticket machine will have an option to pay the fine.

Traffic fines in Spain

traffic finses in spain

Appealing against traffic fines in Spain.

You can also appeal against the fine you have received. However, if you pay a fine promptly you receive a 50% discount. If you decide to contest the fine and lose you will also lose the right to the 50% discount and will have to pay the full amount.

If you wish to provide evidence against the fine this must be done within 20 days after receiving the notification.

What do you do if you receive traffic fines in Spain but you weren’t the driver?

Assuming you don’t want to be held responsible for the offence and fine then you will need to provide the details of the driver of your vehicle to the authorities.

There is a list of necessary information you will need to provide to the authorities about the driver of your vehicle. You must provide this within 20 days of receiving the notification of the traffic offence.

You can send your response in writing either by fax or post. More details on this and the contact address and fax number can be found here.

How do I pay traffic fines in Spain.

You can pay the fine a traffic fine on the government website by credit or debit card. Alternatively, you can send a bank transfer. Details on how to pay a traffic fine in Spain can be found here. The credit card payment can be made here.

It is also possible to pay the fine in person at one of the Provincial Traffic department offices or in cash at Caixabank in Spain. If using the bank please make sure the correct and full reference details etc are included in the payment.

Spanish Police use drones to monitor traffic

traffic drones

The DGT have started to use drones to monitor the traffic. After a successful pilot scheme in May, the drones will be introduced in Tenerife and Gran Canaria in the first two weeks of August. They will also be used throughout Spain on days known as Operation Salida o Operation Retorno when there are huge numbers of journeys too or from holiday destinations.

These drones are equipped with long-range, high-resolution cameras and are ideal for use in well-known trouble spots to monitor traffic and driver behaviour.

In addition to the drones, there will be at least nine helicopters patrolling the roads and motorways of Spain throughout the summer. Three of these are based in Madrid. With an increase in traffic movements, this means more use of the helicopters in the skies above us.

Source: Dirección General de Tráfico

Can children sit in the front seat in Spain?

Can children sit in the front seat in Spain?

The answer depends on the child’s height and not their age. The DGT doesn’t recommend that children travel in the front passenger seat until they have reached 1.5 metres tall. However, the law stipulates they must be taller than 1.35 metres.

If the child is not taller than 1 metre 35 centimetres then they must sit in the back seats of a car in Spain.

There are three exceptions to this rule. One is if the car only has two seats.

Another would be where all the rear seats are already occupied by children 1.35 metres or less. In this case, they would be allowed to travel in the front passenger seat.

The final exception is when only two car seats can fit in the back. If you are carrying three small children and only two child seats can be securely installed in the back of the car then the extra child can sit in the front.

If a child is travelling in the front passenger seat, because of one of the exceptions mentioned above, then they must sit in a suitable rear facing child seat and the airbag must be deactivated. Depending on the make and model of car that might have to be done by a mechanic.

These rules have been designed to improve safety. If you breach these road traffic rules the authorities could fine you 200 euros and take three points off your driving licence.

How dangerous are Spanish roads ?

How dangerous are Spanish roads ?

What are the first thoughts that go through your head when you think about driving in Spain?

For some, there is a perception that it is a dangerous place to drive a vehicle.

How dangerous are Spanish roads ?
Photo: Pexels

I have lived in Spain for many years and I admit I still get frustrated by double parking, especially when there is a space available a few metres ahead. Also if you find that the person is sat in a café having dinner and has blocked you in your parking space. This also infuriates a lot of Spanish people but I’ve become more relaxed about these things. Someone stopping on a zebra crossing and chatting to their neighbours with the back half of the car protruding into the main road would have made me throw my hands up in despair about the potential danger to people trying to cross and the inconvenience I now have in trying to negotiate the rump of someone else’s car to continue my journey. Now it just provokes a sharp lift of the head and a slightly frustrated tutt. Then there is stopping to let someone out of the car without any indication and no intention to move to the side of the road to make it easier for other traffic to pass. This also receives a similarly much more composed response from me these days. But don’t be mistaken into thinking that only the natives drivers do this in Spain.

Whilst we all see things that seem to be dangerous and unnecessarily so, the statistics for Spanish roads are not all that bad. Perhaps it is because the things I’ve described happen in busy towns where traffic is unable to travel very fast and you come to expect the unexpected. But what about out of town?

Only this week a client was explaining to me how a flat-bed lorry sped round a country lane too fast and deposited its cargo on top of his car. Its cargo was a large cement mixing machine. It hadn’t been secured in the back of the lorry and the client was lucky to escape injury or even much worse. His car was not going anywhere after that accident though.

So what do we know about Spanish roads? All countries have black spots and most people can recall lanes or streets from years ago, from their own countries, notorious for close shaves or a series of terrible traffic accidents. Perhaps people had been calling for a road sign to warn drivers but nothing was ever done until a week after some poor soul had been killed.

What do the figures say about Spanish roads?

The latest figures I could find were from the Ministerio del Interior department Dirección General de Trafico and related to the year-end 2016. After the initial introduction by Gregorio Serrano López the Director General for Traffic the document states, with no time wasted “… a total of 1,810 people were killed at the time of the accident or within 30 days after its occurrence…” This is how road deaths are measured throughout Europe. If someone dies within thirty days of the road accident they become a road death statistic as their death would probably be as a result of the initial incident. It is a uniform measure used throughout Europe.

2016 was not a good year. The number of road deaths increased by 7% and the number of people that were hospitalized grew by 3%. The summer months of July and August are the most dangerous on Spanish roads, which is pretty logical bearing in mind the huge number of people going or coming back from holiday, national and international tourists alike.

Whilst 2016 saw an increase in road deaths in Spain the trend from 1989, the worse year since records began has been very positive. In 1989 there were 9,344 fatalities on Spanish roads but by 2013 the figures had plummeted to 1,680. In 2016 it was 1,810 people.

The number of vehicles on Spanish roads had surged by more than one million in the last decade. Possibly as a result of having suffered years of recession and austerity the average age of a car on Spanish roads has now reached 11 years whilst motorcycles are nine years. Back in 2007 when the financial crisis first bit in Spain the averages were 6.5 years for both cars and motorcycles.

So how does Spain compare?

Are Spanish roads dangerous ?
Photo Pexels

In 2010 the Spanish mortality rate from traffic accidents was 53 deaths per million inhabitants whilst by 2016 the figure was down to 39 per million. The European average in 2016 was 51.

In fact, Spain has the fifth lowest fatality rate in Europe. It’s mortality rate is as good as that of Germany and better than France, Italy and Belgium. It only lags behind Sweden, the UK, The Netherlands and Denmark in terms of road safety.

The safest roads are Spain’s motorways. Clearly, with everyone going in the same direction on a wide piece of tarmac this is not really that much of a surprise. Nor is the fact that traditional two-way roads between towns are the most dangerous. It is also not a shock that speed, alcohol and drugs are predominant factors in road fatalities.

To summarise

Spain’s roads are nowhere near the worst and despite double parking, stopping in the outside lane on roundabouts to nip in the shop and buy cigarettes, and blocking zebra crossings outside schools to drop off your children, it seems these actions are irritating, dangerous even, but likely to only involve an inconvenience in most cases, a possible injury in other cases, a fatality rarely but probably a loud tutt from me.

That doesn’t mean I recommend you start doing those things but perhaps continued vigilance and a laid-back response, if any, is all that’s needed, but pay particular attention on inter-urban roads, please.

Why you shouldn’t bring your right-hand drive car to Spain

Why you should not bring your UK car to Spain

You have got a reliable car in the UK. You’ve had it several years and you have always serviced it. It has caused few problems, just new tyres after the usual usage and a change of wiper blades.

Now you are setting-off to start a new life in Spain. The car has been good to you. You have heard that second-hand cars are expensive in Spain (you are right!). You need something to bring the contents of your wardrobe, the kids’ bikes and the youngsters themselves right?

Well, you could use it to transport your family and a small amount of your possessions but you may also be paying a removal company, if you have plenty of things you want to bring with you from your old life.

There actually might be some initial practical reasons to bring it but long-term a UK car is likely to become a nuisance. If you need it to transfer everyone to Spain and the cost of the ferry and fuel makes more sense than plane tickets, then initially it could be practical.  However, at your earliest opportunity take the thing back to the UK, if the cost of the ferry back again makes it worth it, and sell it.

Whilst it is true the price for secondhand Spanish cars, sporting both scratches and dents, are expensive compared to UK prices there are some very practical reasons to bite the bullet and buy a Spanish car. Even though the effort to wash them is too much for the some sellers.

Firstly, the price for UK cars in Spain is not good. The market is limited, you need to find someone who has decided that Spain isn’t for them and they want to return to the UK.

If you now reside in Spain, you have a limited time in which to transfer your car from foreign registration plates to Spanish plates. It is time consuming, expensive (taxes and fees) and many companies have been able to set up whole businesses just to deal with it all for you.

Secondly, when you give your partner a kiss, as you park at the side of the road, they have to take their life in their hands as they step into the middle of the road. A short trip to buy that freshly baked baguette or pan integral you so love, and could smell at 50 metres distance before arriving, suddenly becomes a lot more adventurous and potentially dangerous.

Thirdly, Although the road system has improved significantly since Spain joined the European Union and the motorways would probably be the envy of most drivers that travel up and down the UK (especially the M25) there are still plenty of examples of bad planning. If you live on the popular and busy coastal resorts on the Costa Blanca or Costa del Sol, rapid expansion and thirst for profit often overlooked the necessary thought for appropriate slip roads.

The result is many urbanisations and even towns have poor or dare I say it dangerous access to the main dual carriageways or motorways, often with little or no slip road. This means that trying to look left over your shoulder across a passenger seat, whilst wearing your seatbelt, at traffic hurtling at more than one hundred kilometres per hour becomes more than just a challenge. You might be sat stationery trying to judge when is a good moment to enter the flow from a speed of zero while other vehicles, including speeding forty-tonne trucks, whizz by.

Another thing to consider, are car parks. If you are going shopping or visiting your partner in hospital following an unpleasant shopping trip to buy a loaf of bread (see above) then you need to consider the inconvenience of car park ticket machines. You pull up snuggly next to the machine and you can see the flashing button that says “pulsar”. You can see it of course out of the passenger window. If you have someone with you it isn’t too much of a problem. Press the electric window button and ask them to press the ticket machine button and extract the ticket.

Why you shouldn’t bring your right-hand drive car to Spain However, if you frequently travel on your own it means undoing your seatbelt, leaning across the passenger seat and stretching out of the passenger side window to remove the ticket. This of course has to repeated after paying for the time you have parked and leaving the car park.

People who live in Spain, generally, pay less attention to the condition of their car. You will see a lot of cars with dents and scratches, especially on each corner. Bumpers seem to be used by some road users as a parking aid rather than protection in case of a small error of judgement. You will definitely see some cars for sale that make you say involuntarily, “How much!”

However, you didn’t move to Spain because you thought your car would be in better condition than elsewhere, or cheaper. You probably moved to Spain for a lifestyle change. Well this is one of them!

One final but very important point. If you continue to keep a car on UK plates you are obliged to have an up-to-date MOT certificate and current road tax. Without them you may find you don’t have valid insurance. If you are now living in Spain, you should of course be in the process of transferring from UK plates to Spanish. If not, then you will need to take the vehicle back to the UK annually for an MOT (an ITV is not valid) and you will also need to produce some documentary proof of your insurance the get your UK road tax.

Unless you have a classic car, or one you just can’t bear to be without, then take your right-hand drive car back to the UK, sell it for a fair price and buy an expensive left-hand drive Spanish car which will eventually make your life that much easier you will begin to forget how costly it was.

New ITV Spain

New ITV 2018

This year the ITV has been updated.

With governments and people alike becoming more concerned with traffic pollution the new ITV in Spain means it is one of the first countries to adopt the new European regulations.

The emissions test is now more stringent and the new advances in technology will mean it is more difficult to fraudulently trick the tests, made famous by the Dieselgate scandal.

Within the new remit, the tests are able to evaluate the state of the ABS. ESP. airbags the odometer and other electrical systems.

Another change is that should your vehicle fail it was mandatory to re-take the ITV test at the same testing station. Under the new rules, it is possible to take your vehicle to be re-tested at another test station. You will need to bear in mind that many ITV centres allow a re-test free of charge.

If your vehicle fails the ITV test it will now be obligatory to show where any repairs were undertaken when you submit your vehicle for a second scrutiny. The idea is to be able to show this type of information in the history of the vehicle, provide greater transparency and reduce the possibility of fraud.

From now on you can submit your vehicle for the ITV test one month before the actual expiry date but still benefit from the full renewal period. For example, if your vehicle needs an ITV every twelve months but you do the revision after eleven months because it is more convenient for you, the renewal will be on the anniversary of the old test and you won’t lose a month. The idea is to give motorists more flexibility.

 

Roundabout in Spain

Car Insurnace Spain Roundabouts in Spain

Driving in Spain has its obvious differences to the UK, for example in Spain we drive on the right. There are a number of other differences and one of those is how to use a roundabout.

In order to avoid frustration and getting angry with all those natives that don’t know how to negotiate a roundabout, take a bit of time to read this short article. If you drive like I did when I first arrived in Spain, then you’ll find out it could actually be you that is in the wrong!

First a similarity. The traffic on the roundabout has right of way and you must wait for a clear space before entering it.

When you want to leave the roundabout you must make sure you are in the outside lane in plenty of time to make a safe exit. If not then you need to go round it again rather than cut across other traffic. Do not atempt to leave a roundabout from any other lane.

Please be aware that a vehicle may travel in the outside lane right round the roundabout before taking an exit whether it be the first, second, third or fourth exit. For drivers from the UK this may seem like a strange thing to do but it is quite correct in Spain. The inside lane on a roundabout is to pass traffic that might be blocking the outside lane due to the amount of traffic, or an obstruction in the road they are exiting into, for example.

Car Insurance Spain roundabout Spain

Try and think about a roundabout as a one way street which follows a big curve and with several junctions. Therefore, if you want to turn right off this one-way street you would put your vehcile in the right-hand lane. Remember to use your indicators if you change lanes or intend to turn right off the roundabout. It is not necessary  in Spain to indicate your continuation around the roundabout, as you are continuing on the main route albeit one with a long curve. So unless you are changing lanes or leaving the roundabout there is no need to indicate.

Of course, there can be other problems that make negotiating a roundabout more difficult. Near where I live the roundabout is a favourite place to abandon your car and buy cigarettes from the nearby Estanco. Another roundabout, also closeby, has a bus stop where parents park their cars to drop off their children meaning that the bus has to block the outside lane. However, these types of inconsiderate behaviour occur all over the place and in all countries. It just calls for you to drive carefully and slowly and be aware of what the norms are.