Things have definately Improved!

Drive carefully! Big Brother is watching you!

 When I first came to Spain fourteen years ago and started writing this blog, I found myself constantly commenting of the awful behaviour of drivers. How could I not? Everywhere you looked someone was doing something absolutely stupid and they were paying for it with their lives.

It suddenly occurred to me that now I can do a round trip without someone doing something that attracts my attention for its outrageous action. On the odd occasion when some boy racer cuts up the traffic everybody is shocked and sickened by such irresponsible behaviour. This is good! It is very good that we have all grown up to a point where bad behaviour is not taken for granted with a shrug of the shoulders. It is seen as something that is out of the ordinary and is to be condemned. It also places a heavy burden on me to avoid being the won who attracts attention.

The other thing that is a little more subtle is that drinking alcohol before driving has taken a change for the better within the Spanish culture. Many of us foreigners came from communities where the campaign against driving while drunk had been effective. I am not a big drinker but when the DGT began its crack down I was easily persuaded to simply stop all alcohol if I needed to drive.

It was difficult at first because my hosts could not understand how I could enjoy myself if I didn't have a real drink in hand. Eventually they have come to acept that this is possible and now, if I asked for alcohol I believe that they wouldn't comply. I knew that something was happening when I heard more than one Spanaird say that he was driving and would not take alcohol.

So, good for us, we are on the way to living longer because we are less likely to be killed by some lunatic driving while drunk.

I don't mind if such people have to kill themselves, I just mind that they feel they have to take some innocent with them.

Copyright (c) 2013  Eugene Carmichael  

Parking! Say no more!

Take this Seriously!

I have written before about parking in Spain. How could I not!  Here in Spain, especially in the over crowded cities we don't so much park as abandon our vehicles. There have been times when the trip into the city took twenty minutes, but finding a place to park took longer, much longer.

I am motivated to return to the subject because I observed a peculiar recurring event in the town of Lliria. At one of the parking black spots which is narrow, on one side parking is allowed only for loading and unloading. Parking on the other side is prohibited because to do so effectively blocks the road. So what happens is that as soon as someone drives in and parks and blocks the road the tow truck and a policeman appear and off they take the errant car. Very often, as the truck is pulling away another car drives in and parks in the same spot. The policeman then has to speak to the driver to clear the road.

There is another spot where the road narrows and parking is not allowed. A sign stands in place with the "No Parking" sign and another sign shows a picture of the tow truck taking away a car. Many people have pictures of the drawing on the sign being replicated by the taking away of an illegally parked car. I'm sure all those pictures are captioned "Told you so!"

Some people have a hard time learning, and others never learn.

Ah well!

Copyright (c) 2013   Eugene Carmichael

More Good Traffic News!

2012! A year without as many of these. We are making steady progress!

The results for 2012 are in and they make stunning reading. The trend continues with less people to lose their lives on our roads in 2012 than in 2011. In fact 180 people are still with us because the total loss was 1,304, down by 12% from the losses of 2011 of 1,484.

We are learning to live! We are less accepting of the assumption that this might very well be our day to die just because we have to go out to get bread. The improvement in driver's attitudes on Spanish roads since the high of 7,877 deaths in one year is just staggering and shows what can be achieved when we all sign onto a good idea. The trend had started before the introduction of the points system, but from it's launch every year has seen a  dramatic decline.

The bottom line results are more substantial than at first appears, because while less people are dying prematurely, and less families are having to endure the extreme loss of a sudden death, in many cases of young people, the real story lies in the fact that we are now many more people in so many more vehicles, but still we are conducting ourselves in such a manner as to bring down the death toll. Consider the fact that at the height of the loss there were only about one million vehicles on the roads driven by some two point two million drivers. Today that has changed to be 31.4 million vehicles, some of immense size, driven by 26.2 million drivers.

Our death toll today has returned to 1960 levels when 1300 people lost their lives. Those people are not around today to witness the transformation that Spain has undergone. With all its problems Spain is a whole new wonderful country that I feel certain many of those who lost their lives unnecessarily would have loved to have experienced.

Since the change of the Millennium we are saying goodbye to eight fewer people per day. Instead of eleven each day, we are now losing only three, which is still three too many, but when we add to that fact that Spain's Summer death toll is down to a 50-year low, that is really something to be celebrated.

So, indeed let us celebrate, but somehow I don't think that anyone needs to say that we need to be careful in our celebrations, and choose a designated driver who gets to drink alcohol free beer.

Well done, friends of the road. Keep up the good work!

Copyright (c) 2013  Eugene Carmichael 

Trapped in the Snow!

Winter Wonderland! Only if you are Prepared.

Recently it was reported that in the height of heavy snow conditions, motorists travelling along a motorway were brought to a halt as a result of accidents caused by the adverse weather conditions, and that they were trapped in their vehicles for more than eight hours. Just think about that for a minute. If you or I were one of those people how well might we have coped?

I may have done fairly well because before starting a journey, no matter how short, I usually think ahead and prepare. For instance there are at least four things that I always carry: they are, (1) a first-aid kit; (2) a blanket that is well wrapped in a plastic bag; (3) a sleeping bag; and (4) and an extra pair of eye glasses.

The first is in case a passenger or myself should become injured, either as a result of an accident in the car or on foot, or in case I come upon a situation that requires first aid, I will be ready.

The second is partly for the same reasons as first aid, to keep the person warm, but it can also be used if I am trapped in the snow. The fourth is demanded by law, but is also a very good idea.

The most important is the sleeping bag in the Winter. Once you turn the motor off the car loses heat very rapidly. I cannot think of anything more uncomfortable than being stuck on the open road in the dead of Winter,  far removed from buildings for an extended period of time without any way to keep yourself warm. Proper planning is so essential, especially when carrying children as passengers. A sleeping bag, preferably one for each person would be thought of as more valuable than diamonds under such circumstances.

In the Summer I add a six pack of water. Then there is the matter of food. Summer or Winter, when I am setting off on one of my normal runs I don't give a thought to food because, although I habitually travel along the autovia, I am never very far from civilization where I can walk to some place to get sustenance. However, if I intend a journey that takes me out of that comfort zone, then I have to sit myself down and do a full contingency plan.  That includes packing food and drink, including hot drinks to be carried in a thermos.

One of those contingencies to think about is the fact that whether you get stuck in the elevator or on the road, the first thing to occur to everybody is, I have to answer the call of nature. How should you plan to deal with this problem? At night matters are made a little easier because of the blanket of darkness. During the day, in the openness of the countryside, and the fencing that does not allow you to wander off over the hill, a real problem is presented, especially for women.

I suggest the following: First the blanket is brought into play. Open both the front and passenger doors and drape the blanket to provide a sort of tent. Men or women can then sit on the car door step, but keeping in mind that flesh will stick to bare metal when freezing. Then you can answer the call and make yourself comfortable without embarrassing yourself or those next door.

Everyone I know thinks I am a worry wart. Frankly, I think they may be right. However, there have been those times when I was the only one who was right, so I will continue to think and do what I believe is the right thing.

As always I wish you safe driving, and be prepared. One reason I insist on being prepared is because my family crest, the Carmichael crest reads "Toujour Prest" which I understand mean Always Ready.

Isn't that nice?

Copyright (c) 2013  Eugene Carmichael