Needy Things

Things to take in your car.

In general:

- Spare Wheel, and tools to exchange the flat for the spare
- A complete set of spare light bulbs, and the tools to make the change
- Hands-free mobile phone
- Two warning triangles (at least)
- Reflective vests for all passengers
- One-time use camera in case of accident to record the position of the cars
- Fire extinguisher
- Spare set of eyeglasses or contacts for driver
- Combination generator/compressor/light/battery charger or jumper cables
- Emergency food (Digestives, muesli bars, etc)
- Water, sufficient for all car occupants (All year round-especially Summer)
- Radiator emergency water
- Strong tow rope
- First-aid kit, kept replenished
- Maps
- Notepad & pencil (particularly to take note of cross-country road numbers and kilometre numbers in case of necessity of assistance)
- Spare car key carried on the person at all times
- Documentation for the car. To be carried into and out of the car by driver. (Never left in car for the convenience of car thieves)
- Your driver’s license
- Bag for trash
- Bungee cords
- Handkerchief style tissues
- Workmen’s style gloves
- Steering wheel locking device
- Rags /paper towels and hand cleaner, i.e. sealed wet wipes
- Medical type gloves to deal with injured persons
- “Mouth-to-mouth” style tube

Winter driving, especially in the mountains:

- Wheel chains
- Blankets for all occupants in case of breakdown (Sleeping bags are better)
- Gloves, scarves and hats for all
- Windscreen ice scrapers
There is a process called Ultra-Seal that could be used to good advantage when tyres are new. By having the tyres ultra-sealed you should never have to deal with a flat tyre.

When setting out for a journey, particularly one that involves entering the motorway one should be prepared for any eventuality, including a very long wait in case of a serious accident that blocks the road. The most versatile item that I carry is a very thick, hard- wearing blanket that can be used to protect fragile items being transported, or to cover an accident victim to protect against shock. But the main thing is to be prepared. If I could, I would also carry a W.C. because whatever the problem that has halted our journey, there is no crisis like the one where everyone suddenly needs to go to the bathroom.

Death on the road? It doesn’t have to end like that!
Please don´t overtake on two-way road systems. Save your life for those who love you.

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

Defensive Driving

This is an acquired set of skills, normally gained through trial and error over a set period of time, generally being the entire driving experience of the driver.

I have attempted to pass on what I have learned to young drivers, and I intend to do the same thing to my son. Essentially, it is a matter of learning to defend one’s self from the actions of other road users, and when mistakes are made, to use them as learning examples.

We never stop learning when in our original country, and the lessons start anew when moving to another country. There is a common thread, however that follows wherever we go, and that is anticipation. To anticipate what the other driver will likely do in a certain situation and to be ready to compensate for it.

Some examples from driving in Spain:

- Drivers emerging from side streets tend to poke the nose of the vehicle forward without first stopping until the driver is able to see whether there is cross traffic flow. If you’re the cross traffic and if you are driving close in to the right side of the road, there may occur a crash. However, by anticipating that this will happen you should place your vehicle closer to the centre of the road, leaving about the width of a parked car. The other driver will be able to see you sooner and the crash will hopefully avoided.
- We are terrible about taking the time to properly correct our mistakes. If we suddenly find that we are taking the wrong exit, the proper and safe thing to do is to follow through with the mistake and make the correction when it is appropriate to do so. What usually happens is that one minute we are in the exit lane, and the next we make a violent left lateral movement that puts us back into the main traffic flow, to the complete surprise of the drivers following.
- The opposite of that is we find ourselves passing the exit that we need, and instead of carrying on to the next exit and then doubling back, we make a violent right movement that puts us in front of other traffic on the exit lane. Both of these moves set up a potential crash that is completely avoidable.
- When driving through estates where there are many crossroads, we have to anticipate that we will meet other traffic. There may be stop signs or not, but we know from experience that road signs are mere suggestions in this country, so we have to be ready to give way even if we have the right of way. The object is to avoid the crash at all costs. To say that we were in the right is O.K. for afterwards, but beware at all times.
- People here take driving very casually, almost as if they are at home in their own living rooms. We often see drivers fully engaged with their passengers in conversations. I once suffered a BMW that was simply driven into the back of my car in downtown Valencia because the driver was paying total attention to his passenger. The truth is, we cannot divert our attention when driving in the city even to blink. What on earth was that man thinking?
- When passing a crash site, all drivers need to be totally alert to other traffic. What happens is that everybody is busy looking at the scene. You need to be hyper alert to traffic ahead and behind. I was recently stuck in very slow moving traffic until we came upon a scene on the other side of the road. I’m not certain what that was all about because the car ahead of me braked and slowed, but the driver behind kept coming. A blast from my horn alerted him and I survived to drive another day. If your car is the one in the centre of a three car pile-up, you come out of it with a shorter vehicle than when you went in.
- Sometimes, the way to avoid trouble is just to simply not drive at certain times. Peak driving times when everybody and his brother is leaving the city to drive to some popular holiday destination is the time to be sitting at home with a G&T. I don’t really know what brings about such high death tolls during holiday driving times. Oh, I know that alcohol is involved in a lot of the cases and that speed and inattention are prime causes, but what I don’t know is why so many people choose to do those things when they are supposed to be about motoring pleasure.
- A very common error that leads to the happening of far too many “accidents” is the misinterpretation that the vehicle approaching from your left along the main road signalling a right turn, means that he is going to turn right before he gets to you. Actually he means I’m going to turn right just after I pass you. If you can anticipate that this is probably what he means, you will hold until the situation completely shows itself.

Defensive driving is also about adapting your driving to local situations. Strangers go barging through where locals know to tread lightly. You need to read the road conditions and make adjustments accordingly. For instance, if the main road connects with a natural T-junction, and the main road has the right of way, but general practise is that no-one stops or slows down, that is a crash waiting to happen. It doesn’t have to involve you. Use extreme caution.

Finally, it really goes without saying that these roads are far too dangerous already to add alcohol into the mix. Make it a rule, as is the case with airline pilots to separate throttle from bottle by at least twenty-four hours. Stay Safe! It’s a concrete jungle out there!

Please don’t overtake along two-way road systems. Save your life for those who love you!

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

A MATTER OF RESPECT

We live in a society of laws and rules that govern our conduct with each other. To give these rules and regulations effect we employ enforcers. They go by the name of “The Police”. In other words, we are policed by our consent.

Since this is the case, why is it that many people refuse to show respect and cooperation in the presence of the police. In fact, there is that lunatic fringe that actually wait until they encounter the police to act up. What on earth is wrong with those people?

Some examples of what I mean follows: While driving along a stretch of highway that mandated a speed limit of 80 km/h I observed up ahead a patrol car of The Guardia Civil. They were moving at about the speed limit. It was therefore amazing to see one car after another passing the officers at more than 100 km/h.

The officers appeared to take no notice. Why they didn’t is beyond me, but that’s not the point. Police officers represent the Crown and have a sworn duty to uphold the law, therefore, it seems to me, and I suspect every other law-abiding citizen to show them, and the Crown dutiful respect.

At times, officers have the experience of pulling over a motorist for some infraction only to have the individual show utter contempt for who the officer is and the job that he has entrusted the officer to do. Should such a person find himself in certain other circumstances, he would likely be the one to call for help from a policeman the loudest.

In my home country of Bermuda, for many years I was a member of The Police Advisory Board, a body of civilians who form the liaison between the police and the public. In our role, one of the things we did was we examined police methodology in the light of current times. Specifically, we often looked at whether methods were too heavy- handed, or not strict enough, and what equipment, plant and facilities were needed for the police to do their job effectively.

I was also one member of The Permanent Police Tribunal that was concerned with dealing with matters of pay and conditions of service where agreement was not obtainable between the Police Union and the Government.

As a result I became well versed in the workings of the police service, and I also got to know many of the officers themselves. Indeed, my eldest daughter served a period as a constable with distinction.

The most successful officer will be known as one who serves without fear or favour. He or she will be someone who is reliable and who holds himself/herself accountable to the law. Such an officer requires the support of the people whom he serves and protects, and can only function properly if he or she has our respect.

It is inevitable that there will be the oddball cop who is a bad apple. Certainly, the job does attract many people who are control freaks. Unfortunately this is not necessarily seen as a bad thing, so this trait often leads to the police getting a bad name for brutality.

The other side of that is the member of the public who is his own worst enemy. If he is apprehended in the act of committing a crime, or for suspicion of doing so, he then goes on to violently resist arrest.

Questions arise such as should the police be trusted absolutely? Do the police themselves ever commit acts outside the law that are criminal, while in uniform? Are there any cases whereby the police stitch up an innocent person, who they know to be innocent, just to be able to close a file as solved?

To the first question, I believe that because the police are human beings, they can, and do make mistakes. Therefore, the checks and balances that are in place need to be continually reviewed and updated, and the officers’ work must constantly be checked for quality. Internal Affairs is the department that polices the police. The members of that team are, unfortunately uniformly despised by the regular police in any force that employs it.

Individual members of the force surely do, from time to time get carried away with their sense of power and do take actions outside the law. When they do so, they simply become criminals in uniform and a disgrace to the force. Lastly, we would be very naïve to think that persons are not put in the frame if they have done nothing wrong. I am absolutely convinced that it does happen. I wish it were not so.

Anecdotal experience with respect to the justice system enforcement in Spain is mixed. I can only say that whatever branch of the service I have ever had any dealings with, I found them to be completely professional. They do have a tough job to do, and that job is made all the more difficult by the many nationalities that reside in Spain. It is certainly better to be on the correct side of the law.

So, as foreigners who have come to reside here in Spain, is there anything that we should do ahead of time just in case we have an unpleasant encounter with the law?

We would be well advised to register with a legal office, especially if English is spoken. We are allowed one telephone call once in custody. Now is the time to make those preparations. We simply do not know what the future will bring.

I must now close this topic as I have to go and make my arrangements with an abogado. In the meantime perhaps you might have the answer to the eternal question: Why do policemen have lockers for their personal effects that are actually lockable?

Please don’t overtake on two-way road systems. Save your life for those who love you!

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

THE FUTURE OF MOTORING IN SPAIN

Firstly, here’s a dreamer’s ideal of motoring in Spain in the not too distant future: Easter long week-end break. Death toll on the roads: zero. Well, why not? In 2006 the toll nationwide was 108.

The dream continues: End of the year, 2007: Death toll for the year: Less than 100 unfortunate people will lose their lives in mainly weather-related incidents. These will be due to extreme foggy conditions, and ice patches in unexpected places.

We wish: From July 1st, 2006, the points system bit hard and removed all the hard-core cases off the road. The ones who could not accept that driving while under the influence of drink or drugs would no longer be tolerated, quickly lost all their points and were sent to driver re-education. There, they found that in order to regain their license involved a process of demonstrating that they were ready to go back out there to be a part of the solution, and not a part of the problem. In this, they simply failed.

They had heard that people who were trying to get a license for the first time were finding that it was really difficult. Such people had not done anything wrong, so it could be assumed that if those people had a difficult time, anyone who held a license and lost it through avoidable infractions could expect to have it doubly difficult. Impossible, in fact.

So, with the bad boys out of the way, that left room for the rest who were genuinely trying to be good motorists. Also, the dreaded day of reckoning when the government expected absolute gridlock never came, because by simply declaring that anyone caught driving without a license, and who had never held a license were sent directly to jail.

Previously, people who had tried and failed several times to obtain a license simply bought a very cheap car and drove anyway. When they were caught they accepted that the car would be taken from them. They paid their fine and then bought another cheap car. But, this thing about going to jail had to be taken seriously. So, they took public transport or bought a moped.

Why it took authorities so long to use the prospect of going to jail is difficult to fathom, but it had the desired effect. Whereas there had been about 40% of traffic that had been illegal, the vast majority of those cars were pulled off the road, and that gave breathing space to everyone else.

One of the immediate and most noticeable changes was the sudden availability of parking space in the towns. It was amazing and no longer necessary to park across pedestrian crossings, nor to occupy pedestrian sidewalks. Some people had to go back to driving school to learn to park properly.

The characteristics of cars will continue to evolve. Most cars at present are computers on wheels, and this trend will continue. We are now seeing the new generation that uses electric and petrol engines in an effort to be more environmentally friendly. Experimentation continues with all-electric models as the industry looks ahead to the end of fossil fuels.

I believe that for the foreseeable future we will simply have more of the same. This is because even if someone came up with an all-new concept car that would run on wind the oil giants would buy up the patent and keep it under wraps until there is no more oil to be had. Who knows how many such patents they now own. I suppose there are a lot of very clever people about with great visions that would take society ahead by a quantum leap, but probably Big Oil, and their partners the car manufacturers deliberately get in the way of such development.

Of course, they have their legitimate concerns as well. Investment, plant, inventory, and jobs, all of which form a delicate balance. Sometimes I wish I could live to see my 200th birthday just to see what kind of world there will be at that time. Given the direction in which we seem to be headed, I very much doubt that there will be a world that any of us could recognize by then.

Back to the present, we can do so much to make 2007 motoring’s best year. If we all started now to play our part in reducing the carnage on the roads, with our combined People’s Will we can achieve any thing we set our minds to. Naturally, I need to translate this column into Spanish.

Please don’t overtake on two-way road systems. Save your life for those who love you.

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael