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Road safety, Spanish traffic regulations
and information about
driving in Spain
Driving
in Madrid # Driving
in Barcelona # Driving
in Bilbao # Driving
in San Sebastian # Driving
in Murcia #
 Speed.
In Spain People drive very fast on motorways
and dual carriageways. Furthermore some
roads are in a bad way. Although in
theory the speed limit is 120 km/h there
are often cars travelling at 160 km/h
or more. The Civil Guard (Spain's equivalent
to traffic police) are using speed cameras
more and more. They have multiplied
on many Spanish roads especially on
motorways where mobile speed radars
are placed in unidentified cars which
are used to catch drivers breaking the
speed limit.
- Lorries. There are a lot of
heavy vehicles on Spanish roads. Large
lorries drive from Northern Spain to
the South and from the East to West
of the country. This makes traffic very
dense (especially at weekends and bank
holidays). They create problems when
overtaking and are the cause of many
traffic jams, especially on the toll-free
national roads and highways.
- Defects in road surfaces and road
maintenance can make driving on
some roads hazadours - especially in
parts of south-west and northern Spain.
Although road maintenance has improved
over recent years, the quality of road
surfaces is still very variable and
drivers should be prepared to deal with
uneven surfaces, narrow lanes and frequent
diversions or hold-ups due to roadworks.
- The contrasts in climate between
Spanish regions can make long drives
quite a challenge. The temperature can
go from hot to cold in a short space
of time, and during the Winter while
some people are bathing on parts of
the Spanish Mediterranean coast, other
people are skiing down snow-covered
mountains. Bear this in mind if you
are going to set out on a long journey,
check the weather forecast and be prepared.
- Penalty points licence system.
The high number of accidents has forced
the Spanish government to change driving
laws and at present driving offences
such as speeding, drink driving, mobile
telephone use in cars… lead to points
being taken from your driving licence.
- Zebra Crossings. Spanish drivers
do not usually stop at zebra crossings
unless they are
accompanied by traffic lights. Take
care when approaching one in your car
if there are cars behind your vehicle,
because if you do what you are supposed
to do - i.e. slow down and stop to allow
pedestrians to cross - you are liable
to be hit from behind or to have an
irate driver shout and blow his horn
at you. If you are a pedestrian waiting
to cross, never ever start crossing
until you are sure that vehicles on
both lanes (if there is more than one)
have stopped for you to cross.
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Distance between vehicles. Maintain
the distance set down by law between
your vehicle and the next one in order
to avoid collisions caused by sudden
breaking (common when overtaking lorries
when there is heavy traffic). Reduce
your speed and increase the distance
between vehicles if it is raining or
there is a wet road surface.
- Driving at night. Stop driving
at once if you feel sleepy and rest
until you are ready to continue. Also,
make sure you have the necessary equipment
available incase you are forced to stop
on the hard shoulder of the motorway.
In Spain it is compulsory to carry in
your car a spare set of lights, enough
fluorescent jackets for all passengers,
a traffic triangle and, in snowy areas,
chains.
- Compulsory vehicle checks.
If you purchase a car in Spain then
bear in mind that your vehicle will
be subject to maintenance checks at
an official ITV centre after 4 years
if it is a new car then every 2 years
rising to every year for cars over 10
years old.
- Driving and Alcohol. Do not
drive if you have been drinking. Wine
can flow during meals in Spain, so if
you have enjoyed a relaxed lunch or
dinner, don't jump into your car straight
away. Have a siesta or take a taxi
- Avoid key days such as local fiestas
or the beginning and end of seasonal
holidays. Look at a Spanish work
calendar and check bank holidays in
order to try to avoid the busiest days
on Spanish roads. Bank holidays vary
from region to region in Spain. Many
Spanish families have holiday homes
and take advantage of local and national
holidays or long weekends
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Road
travel in Spain
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