Driving in Spain
Posted: Sun May 18, 2014 10:04 pm
A note or two for those that might drive through France to Spain.
When driving in Spain it is obligatory to carry two warning triangles and two hi-vis reflective waistcoats. If you are unfortunate enough to suffer a motor breakdown, or be involved in an accident; the warning triangles are needed, one in front of the vehicle and the other behind. The hi-vis waistcoats are needed to be kept inside the vehicle and must be put on before the driver and/or passenger exit the vehicle. The warning triangles can be kept in the boot. One is also obliged to carry a complete set of bulbs for headlights, sidelights, rear lights, reversing lights, indicator lights for your car and a selection of spare fuses for the essential elements on your car (much like in the UK).
The Spanish police and Guardia Civil (a sort of military police) use in car radar, permanently fixed radar cameras and roadside radar to determine speed.
The traffic police here are the Guardia Civil, whose principal duties are traffic and drugs. They tend to patrol the motorways and some main roads, their uniform is pale green and darker olive green. They use the 4x4s and different types of marked cars, and the big BMW bikes when in uniform and unmarked cars in when in plain clothes. Point number one is . . . don't argue with them! Many of them speak English. If you do get stopped, it can be for speeding, or a spot check. Just make sure that you have your passport and the vehicle documentation & insurance with you. Make sure that you have your European Health Insurance Cards with you as well, along with your foreign travel accident form.
If you are unfortunate enough to incur a fine then a) make sure that you get a receipt for any money you may pay over. Make a note of the officer's shoulder number. This holds true for Guardia Civil, Policia National and Policia Local. Ask for a receipt and make a note of the officer's number, so that you have a point of reference should the need arise.
Policia National patrol the main roads and are sometimes in the towns and urbanisations, airports etc. They, like the Guardia, can go inter-province on the roads as well as inter-town. The policia local are normally confined to the area of the municipality in which they operate. These are the police who should respond if you call the police for assistance on 112.
Generally speaking, all the police can exercise fines, which if this occurs, has to be paid on the spot if you are a tourist; otherwise they have the powers to impound your vehicle (another good reason for not arguing with them).
If you have parked in the wrong place and come back to find your vehicle gone, then it will most likely have been towed to the town vehicle pound which you will have to find out where this is from a local policeman, or the town hall (ayuntamiento). At the pound you will have to pay a fine to release your vehicle, and, the towing charge of the 'grua' after producing your documentation. At least as residents we get a fine, but have a few days in which to pay it without losing the vehicle. Unless it is a serious infringement.
If you incur a parking fine through overstaying your time in the parking bay then many ayuntamientos have a facility where you can pay an on the spot fine by using a small envelope that forms part of the fine documentation that will be on your vehicle and putting coins in the envelope to the value of 3 euros (usually). This envelope is then put into the nearest meter/parking ticket machine within 24 hrs after you have put your registration number on it and the day's date if it is not already written on it. This is a much cheaper way of paying a regular parking fine which, if ignored, will be between 30 and 60 euros (usually). Not every municipality offers this facility however.
Guardia and Policia National fines incurred on the motorways, or main roads, do not appear to have set values, but should normally fall between 100 and 300 euros, but can be more or less.
When driving in Spain it is obligatory to carry two warning triangles and two hi-vis reflective waistcoats. If you are unfortunate enough to suffer a motor breakdown, or be involved in an accident; the warning triangles are needed, one in front of the vehicle and the other behind. The hi-vis waistcoats are needed to be kept inside the vehicle and must be put on before the driver and/or passenger exit the vehicle. The warning triangles can be kept in the boot. One is also obliged to carry a complete set of bulbs for headlights, sidelights, rear lights, reversing lights, indicator lights for your car and a selection of spare fuses for the essential elements on your car (much like in the UK).
The Spanish police and Guardia Civil (a sort of military police) use in car radar, permanently fixed radar cameras and roadside radar to determine speed.
The traffic police here are the Guardia Civil, whose principal duties are traffic and drugs. They tend to patrol the motorways and some main roads, their uniform is pale green and darker olive green. They use the 4x4s and different types of marked cars, and the big BMW bikes when in uniform and unmarked cars in when in plain clothes. Point number one is . . . don't argue with them! Many of them speak English. If you do get stopped, it can be for speeding, or a spot check. Just make sure that you have your passport and the vehicle documentation & insurance with you. Make sure that you have your European Health Insurance Cards with you as well, along with your foreign travel accident form.
If you are unfortunate enough to incur a fine then a) make sure that you get a receipt for any money you may pay over. Make a note of the officer's shoulder number. This holds true for Guardia Civil, Policia National and Policia Local. Ask for a receipt and make a note of the officer's number, so that you have a point of reference should the need arise.
Policia National patrol the main roads and are sometimes in the towns and urbanisations, airports etc. They, like the Guardia, can go inter-province on the roads as well as inter-town. The policia local are normally confined to the area of the municipality in which they operate. These are the police who should respond if you call the police for assistance on 112.
Generally speaking, all the police can exercise fines, which if this occurs, has to be paid on the spot if you are a tourist; otherwise they have the powers to impound your vehicle (another good reason for not arguing with them).
If you have parked in the wrong place and come back to find your vehicle gone, then it will most likely have been towed to the town vehicle pound which you will have to find out where this is from a local policeman, or the town hall (ayuntamiento). At the pound you will have to pay a fine to release your vehicle, and, the towing charge of the 'grua' after producing your documentation. At least as residents we get a fine, but have a few days in which to pay it without losing the vehicle. Unless it is a serious infringement.
If you incur a parking fine through overstaying your time in the parking bay then many ayuntamientos have a facility where you can pay an on the spot fine by using a small envelope that forms part of the fine documentation that will be on your vehicle and putting coins in the envelope to the value of 3 euros (usually). This envelope is then put into the nearest meter/parking ticket machine within 24 hrs after you have put your registration number on it and the day's date if it is not already written on it. This is a much cheaper way of paying a regular parking fine which, if ignored, will be between 30 and 60 euros (usually). Not every municipality offers this facility however.
Guardia and Policia National fines incurred on the motorways, or main roads, do not appear to have set values, but should normally fall between 100 and 300 euros, but can be more or less.