New Spanish traffic laws.

[Treadtrader]

There's a few of us off to Spain and Portugal next month for our annual lads break.
Just got off the phone to one of the lads whose outlaws live in Spain.
They told him that the Spanish have introduced some new traffic laws from the 9th of May this year.
He has no detail exept that if clocked speeding they would no longer need to stop you, it would turn up at your home sometime later?
Any of you expats in Spain have any more knowledge? Pat, Simon?

[Bernard Smith]

I know the EU were trying to have such cross-border stuff but, as far as I know, it was never ratified?

Perhaps what they are talking about is the changes to such things as expats/transient foreign nationals who actually reside in there for varying lengths of time:

http://spanishnewstoday.com/new-spanish ... 2-sW177opE

[Tramp]

I know brussles are pushing through euro wide police stuff so we will be sent bills unlike present where uk government dont abide by it..something on news this week about it, but sure thenabove is correct oj foreign residents in spain..

[Tim Cullis]

The Spanish are brilliant at passing laws that either are incapable of being enforced, or which everyone subsequently ignores.

Last week a couple of five year olds were riding offroad bikes through our nearest village whilst the fathers were chatting to the local police. No driving licences, no insurance, no lights, no ITV (MOT)...

On the positive side they hadn't been drinking alcohol. :dry:

[Simon_100]

Here's the stuff itself - in Spanish of course!

The keypoints are:

Under 16s have to have a crash helmet when riding bicycles

100 Euro fie for driving under drugs and/or alcohol - the former a big issue here; five teenagers were killed the other night when their football team minibus ran into a JCB that turned in front of it whilst overtaking - the digger was positive for dope and cocaine :dry:

They can immobilise a vehicle without a child's safety seat

Radar detectors prohibited

Final pount reflects Tim's comment: "Some of these measures require changes in the law - isn't that what it is? - so won't be enacted just yet :woohoo:

But here's the bit about the follow up fines in the 'small print':

"Además de estas novedades, también entra mañana en vigor la posibilidad que tienen los agentes de no tener que notificar la denuncia en el acto, siempre y cuando el agente denunciante se encuentre realizando labores de vigilancia y control de tráfico y carezca de medios para proceder a la persecución del vehículo infractor."

Yes, it say the officer doesn't have to stop you in the act.

Regs

Simon

[Simon_100]

Mornin' all - and at 03.20 my time - yes . . . :whistle:

Just an update while I came across this.

There was a report commissioned by the government to revue the speed limits here and it looked like they were to change: up from 120 to 130 kph on motorways, down from 100 to 90 kph on main roads and down from 50 to 30 kph in towns and villages. But, after spending millions on the 'research', the same government rejected the findings a few weeks ago - sing along now everyone:

"Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do . . ."

. . . (thumbs)

Regs

Simon

[-Ralph-]

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars ... fines.html

So when 2017 comes, and either nobody pays the fine, or they write back pleading not guilty (in English), or they fail to name driver, or they say they don't understand any f the correspondence, we'll see how enforceable it all is.

Data compliance laws say your DVLA records can't be sent or stored outside of the UK.

The whole thing is going to be a farce.

[Simon_100]

Stop press from the Spanish news:

The Traffic Department, DGT, is going to publish the locations of all radar traps, including temporary ones, i.e. 'Jam sandwiches' with the acknowledged aim that speed traps are about preventing speeding rather than coining brass - well I wasn't born yesterday . . .

I've found the page but I don't know whether this has been implemented yet. The traps there are all fixed ones so maybe there will be a separate section. Te daft thing is that radar detecting gadgets will remain illegal . . .

Moreover, there is a 7% 'safe' zone of tolerance for excess speed allowing for inaccurate speedo's - how kind! Here are the maths:

Velocidad - Límite radar

50 - 58

60 - 68

70 - 78

80 - 88

90 - 98

100 - 109

110 -120

120 - 131

Moreover, you get a 50% discount for prompt payment of fines, so when you find yourself frogmarched to the nearest cash point by the friendly, gun toting Guardia Civil s/he is really saying 'I love you' :whistle:

The instant question from the pundits was 'What about the helicopter patrols?' which are by their very nature are impossible to 'fix' their location.

The answer is that these are being used to catch drivers using mobiles, etc. The accident stats for last year were a bit worse than 2013, possibly due to a spate of accidents in the blizzards of last autumn. But the chilling analysis is that deaths cause by inattention i.e. phoning, texting, taking 'selfies', etc. accounted for more deaths that speeding, drink driving, drugs put together!

Regs

Simon

[andymac]

I received a letter from spain in September after my off, "nobody else involved "
Can't understand it. But I think that I was taken to court & prosecuted in my absence!!!

[Simon_100]

I received a letter from spain in September after my off, "nobody else involved "
Can't understand it. But I think that I was taken to court & prosecuted in my absence!!!

Hi

I had a magistrate's report after my off in 2013. All it said was that it was my own silly fault - true :whistle: - and then I should obey the traffic regulations. But at first glance it looked lie a death sentence!

If you'd been fined there woud have been a paying-in slip attached - don't ask how I know this (thumbs)

Do you want to send me a scan and I'll translate?

Regs

Simon