Driving in Spain

Speed limits Motorway Open Road Town 120 km/h 90-100 km/h 50 km/h

Alcohol % in blood 0.05

• Be especially careful when setting off from service stations or restaurants on the left side of the road.
  
  
• Take care when overtaking - allow more space between you and the car in front so you can see further down the road ahead.
  
  
• Spain has strict drink driving laws, only allowing 0.25 milligrams of alcohol per litre of blood - stricter than the UK where the limit is 0.4. New drivers are effectively forbidden to drink and drive, with a very low 0.1 mg/l limit.
  
  
• Seat belts front and rear are obligatory everywhere.
  
  
• Speed limits, shown below, are implemented rigorously. Radar traps are frequent.
  
  
• Remember - Speeding and other traffic offences are subject to on-the-spot fines.
  
  
• And don't forget! Drive on the right!

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

Documentation:
Always carry your driving licence, vehicle registration document (V5), and certificate of motor insurance. If your licence does not incorporate a photograph ensure you carry your passport to validate the licence. If the vehicle is not registered in your name, carry a letter from the registered owner giving you permission to drive.

Drinking and driving:
Don't do it. Over 0.05 per cent and you could face anything from a severe fine, withdrawal of your licence, up to imprisonment.

Fines:
On the spot fines are issued. Ensure an official receipt is issued by the officer collecting the fine.

First-aid kit:
Advised.

Fuel:
All grades of unleaded petrol (benzin), diesel (gasoleo 'A') and LPG are available as well as lead substitute additive. Leaded no longer exists. It is allowed to carry petrol in a can. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted, although they probably won't work at automatic pumps, which are often the only pumps open out-of-hours and at lunch-time (from noon to 3pm) away from the Autoroutes. It's a good idea to let your card issuer know you will be travelling abroad. This ensures they don't suspend your card if they spot it being used in unfamiliar places, which they sometimes do as an anti-fraud measure.

GB sticker:
UK registered vehicles displaying Euro-plates (circle of 12 stars above the national identifier on blue background) no longer need a GB sticker when driving in European Union countries.

Glasses (Spectacles):
Wearers must carry a spare pair in the car at all times.

Headlamp converters:
Compulsory.

Lights:
Dipped headlights should be used in poor daytime visibility. Motorcycles must use dipped headlights during the day at all times.

Minimum age for driving:
Provided you hold a full UK licence, is 18 for a car and for a motorcycle over 75cc. If you've got an old-style all-green licence you might find the police will not understand them, so either get them up-dated or take an International Driving Permit as well.

Motorcycle:
Motorcycle drivers and passengers must wear crash helmets.

Motor insurance:
Tthird-party insurance is compulsory. A green card is not required but your insurer should be advised of your trip.

Replacement bulb set:
Compulsory.

Seat belts:
Are compulsory for front and rear seat occupants, if fitted.

Visibility Vests:
Are compulsory. In Spain we've been told you need a vest for every potential occupant of the car, and that they must be carried inside the car, rather than in the boot.

Warning triangle:
Compulsory. One only is required for non-Spanish registered vehicles. Two required for Spanish vehicles, but to avoid difficulties with the police we recommend two triangles should be carried.

Other usefull information

Do not drink and drive - the limits are about half those in the UK and the penalties very high including losing your licence on the spot, boosted by the new “rapid justice” Courts, as are heavy on-the-spot fines for traffic offences. You will not be allowed to leave the area until you have paid any fine or appeared in Court, including spending time in the cells if you cannot pay in cash.

Parking
As a general rule you may not park in Spain where the pavement curb is painted yellow or where a no parking sign is displayed. In major cities and now even the pueblos, non-metered on-street parking is difficult to find but in some areas, there are parking spaces marked in blue for which you should purchase a ticket from a nearby machine on the pavement usually topped with a blue and white “P” sign, or from an attendant. These spaces are usually for about two hours maximum. Penalties for parking infringements vary from town to town and can be heavy.

If you park illegally, especially in a foreign car, you will almost certainly become a victim of the local tow truck, and if you suffer this, there should be a sticker left on the curb with the phone number/address of your car’s new location. Getting your car back will be a hassle and will cost you dearly in fines and fees, not to mention the possible problem of your not speaking Spanish. Where possible, look for underground parking with security attendance. It's worth paying that little bit more.

Fines
If you are a tourist without assets in Spain, all fines are payable in cash “on the spot”. The legal drink-drive limit is currently 0,5 grammes per litre of air using a breathalyzer. The very high death rates in Spain (in the top 3 in the “old” EU) means that if caught with excess alcohol or drugs in your body, you can expect to lose your licence (in a special Court, possibly that same day) or, if a resident, have to attend a special school.

Seatbelts
It is compulsory for all in the car to wear seatbelts, both front and rear where fitted. The driver is responsible for any fines where passengers are not wearing an approved belt. Children under 12 years of age are not allowed in the front seats (unless they are over 150 cm or 4 ft. 9 ins, then they can unofficially get away with it. It is apparently to do with being secure in the safety belt). Also, if seated in the back, the belt must fit correctly, or a special “raising seat” must be fitted. Animals must be restrained when in the passenger section and not allowed to jump around.

Road tax and vehicle inspections
If you are using your foreign registered car in Spain for a few months (no more than six months in any calendar year is allowed) then it must be legal as far as roadworthy, insurance and road taxes are concerned.

Toll/Peaje roads
Spain has over 2,000 km of toll roads and more are planned. They are of excellent standard and all have service stations with cafes of an acceptable standard every 40km or so. The tolls are expensive, especially in summer when the rates are doubled and are usually calculated per km. Some toll roads, for long distance travelling allow you to collect a ticket at the start and then pay the total when you exit the road. They do however mean that you can drive relaxed and safer over long distances as the locals usually avoid them.

Mobile telephones
The use of a mobile telephone, other than a true hands-free, while driving is banned in Spain, even at the side of the road. You may also not have any device in your ears to listen to music or your mobile phone etc. You still see erratic driving where a mobile is in use, but penalty points can now be awarded.

Navigation aids and DVD´s etc.
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.

Losing your licence
If you are stopped by the police or interviewed at the scene of an accident and you are showing signs of being incapable of driving the vehicle for any reason, the police are empowered to immediately take away your driving licence and you could lose it if found in breach of the Law. There are laws affecting penalty points that are different (more restrictive) for new drivers. The Spanish government is determined to reduce the high accident rates on the roads.

Motor Cyclists.
The headlight must be on dipped setting during the day, and an approved crash helmet must be worn, properly fitted and secured, at all times while riding. Penalty points can be awarded for transgressors.