Driving in Spain. Some tips.
Monday, December 31st, 2007Road safety, Spanish traffic regulations and information about driving in Spain
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.
