Time to review Spanish driving rules

Texting while Driving- Utter madness! Most likely the life that will be lost will be that of someone else.


Someone has kindly gone to the trouble to alert those of us in the Jaguar Enthusiast Club that we need to revisit Spain's driving rules. As time goes by we tend to forget the specifics and find ourselves creating bad habits. The model in the above picture is reflecting one of the most serious bad things a driver can do. If just speaking on the phone while driving is dangerous because it distracts us from concentrating on the road ahead, texting is just plain murderous and suicidal. Please don't do this.

I was glad to have these reminders because over time I have developed a really bad habit of cruising along the middle lane. My thinking was that this makes it easier for merging traffic, which of course it does, but the rule is that we cruise in the right hand lane by default unless we have to overtake. Here in Valencia, another bad habit has grown, that of overtaking along the right side. This is caused by driver impatience and by those of us, and we are many, who hog the middle lane.

Well, it seems that this habit is deemed to be dangerous driving and can result in time spent in jail, even if it does not cause someone else to crash.

Another interesting rule that has become muddled over time is that of driving the car of someone else. For so long we have been saying that provided that you hold a valid European driving license you can drive anyone's car. Well yes, but only with their permission. If the owner is in the car with you, no problem. If not, they must have your written permission in Spanish.

What happens when you are asked for your car? The person is always in a hurry and anxious to get going. All they want is the keys. They really don't want to hear, just a minute while  I sit down and write up a letter giving you permission. Well, tough, but that is just what they should have to do, otherwise it will be another act of kindness that will be punished.

Also, there is the matter of cyclists to take into account. This is a growing sport and exercise activity which means that we are encountering more and more groups of cyclists. They have every right to use the road, and for those of us in cars we have to learn to respect them and to give them space. To overtake them we should cross over to the other lane as though they were a car. And, of course, they can be strecthed out over a distance and that makes overtaking very tricky. If we are unable to overtake the lot, we should not even begin to do so.

I will highlight other rules as a reminder in the near future. For now, drive safely and turn your common sense on.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

The Jobsworth in Action!

The Highway Toll Booth

During this Summer there ocurred a number of fires in Spain. One such fire required the assistance of all hands, so dangerous and enormous was it. It devoured a whole mountain and threatened hundreds of homes in the area with a city just beyond. In other words, as emergencies go, this was about as serious as it can get.

One fire engine from a community that was at a distance went speeding on its way to give assistance. The fastest route was along the toll road. As it neared the entrance to the toll booth the operator opened the barrier and let the engine through without having to stop or get a ticket. That made all the sense in the world. However, when they wanted to exit the toll road the story was very different.

This would be a really funny story were it not so sadly serious. Here you are, a fire engine with siren warning all to pull over to the side and clear a path for us because we are trying to stop a fire from doing serious damage. Traffic makes a path for you, but you arrive at the barrier and the operator does not lift it. The siren is still screeching but the engine has come to a stop.  "OPEN THE BARRIER!" demanded the driver. Sir, you have to pay, says the simpleton jobsworth.

To the astonishment of absolutely every person who witnessed the incident, and probably all who have read or even heard about it, an argument developed between the driver, together with the firemen, urging this appparently absolutely moronic operator to open the gate and let the engine proceed.

With precious moments slipping away the driver finally paid with his own credit card and the engine went on its way.

Of course, that was not the end of it. It has not been reported as to what the outcome of complaints made to the roads management was, but I would bet money that the operator did not lose his job. I think if management recognised that the man was incapable of making the decision to treat emergency vehicles with discretion he would not have been replaced. His union would not hear of it. If such vehicles are to be given free passage management would have to put that in writing and specific instructions given to all employees.

As a result of the delay that obstructed the arrival of the engine team we can reasonably assume that more damage was caused that otherwise might have been limited. Street Justice can only hope that the operator will learn to his own chagrin what can happen when unnecessary obstruction is put in the way of those who are trying to help.

"What goes around , comes around."

Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael

What are we thinking when we overtake?

Sometimes I wonder!

What has got me thinking is this past week I have confronted two trucks on two seperate occaisions overtaking two cyclists on two bends. On both times I have been driven into the side of the road. Clearly, both of these drivers have excrement where they are supposed to have brains. Still, the question is a good one because drivers put themselves out into the lane of oncoming traffic, and that has killed so many innocent people.

I recall some incidents from the news that were so incredible I have never forgotten them. In the region of Torrevieja there arose a traffic jam. A man who was driving a right hand drive car suddenly decided to pull out into oncoming traffic, even though he could not see if anything was coming. An oncoming bus carrying school children slammed into his car, instantly killing his wife in the passenger seat, and their friend who was sitting behind her.

The bus went out of control and turned left into the line of traffic pushing a sports car carrying a male driver, who was killed, and his pregant girlfriend, who survived with her baby intact. Bus and car went through the guardrail and down an embankment, and the bus landed on top of the car. Inside the bus children were thrown about like toys. One of the girls went straight through the windscreen and had to be taken to hospital by air ambulance.

The driver of the car survived because he was on the right side of the car; however, no-one could find out what he was thinking because he lost his mind and is locked up as a criminally insane person.

A whole category of insane nutters are those who have overtaken me only to pull off the road right in front of me, causing me to at least take my foot off the gas, and sometimes I have even had to tap the brakes. To all of you brainless wonders I really do hope that you will do something, without injuring someone else, that causes you such pain, expense, and inconvenience that you come to see the folly of your ways. You are Public Enemy Number One! I hate you!

For ordinary people simply driving along the motorway, we choose a speed and we will inevitably catchup with other people who are driving slower. To overtake such slower moving traffic is no big deal, provided we overtake on the left. In the Valencia region it has become a habit of so many drivers to overtake along the right side outside of city limits where this is strictly prohibited, and is a very dangerous practise. Now what could possibly be going through those people's minds? There cannot be any justification for doing something like that. The person most at risk is the one passing along the right side, and as such is suicidal. Of course, it's simple laziness.

Finally, the national roads in Spain have all been called dangerous, when the roads themselves just sit there waiting to be used responsibly. They are all generally two lanes, one for each direction, or at least they carry two-way traffic. They are busy thoroughfares which mean that to place your vehicle in a lane for opposing traffic must only be done with extreme care. There is no room for error.

Death through head-on collision is the number one killer of the guilty and innocent alike. The stories reflecting such events make very grim reading indeed!

What the hell were they thinking?


Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

Beware Motorists, The highwayman is busy in your area!

There are people who want to stop you and relieve you of your valuables!

Everyday, seemingly ordinary people  arise, have breakfast and go off to work as part of the multitudes who do the same thing. However, this group work at stealing your valuables if you let your guard down for a moment.

I wish to warn you that an old con is back in play with a new twist, and is causing a lot of people serious problems.

The Setup

The target driver will be someone driving alone.

Usually the thieves need a busy parking lot,such as a commercial centre to make the setup. They will place a large nail against one of your tyres at an angle so that when you move forward you will drive the nail into your tyre causing a flat to develop. As a routine, you can foil this plot by simply rolling backwards before moving forward.

If you do not do this you will leave the parking lot to find that by the time you reach the first roundabout you have a tyre that is fully flat. Typically, the thieves will target the rear tyre on the driver's side so that your attention will be focused on that side.

The execution

When you pull over there will be a man standing on the side of the road. He will take notice and come over to offer assistance. What he is looking for is an opportunity to grab your personal bag and make a run for it. You can foil this if you lock the car when you exit, preferably taking your bag with you. You can always call for roadside assistance after placing your warning triangles and just sit in the car and wait.

What the thief stands to gain, and you have to lose

People who have fallen victim to this ploy have said that they lost money and other valuables, credit and debit cards, keys to their house and the house address, mobile phone that even stopped them calling the police, and their bank, etc; as well as various other personal stuff.

So, remember, whereever you are, roll back before moving forward, and lock your car when you get out, especially if there is someone around. As a more thorough security measure we should actually look at our tyres, both in front and behind to ensure that nothing has been placed there. It will only take a little time before the thieves are more cunning in thier setup.

Be vigilant!


Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael

Far fewer people take driving lessons.

Heading for the open road


Sometimes here in Spain we find ourselves driving in the campo through orange or lemons fields, where there will be lots of fallen fruit on the path. That inspired someone to write a popular book called, "Driving over lemons." Now, some wiseass has come up with a title, "Driving over Spaniards." He has the title but the book hasn't been written yet. I hope it never will.

The Spanish authorities have been struggling with the same problem as other countries, that being rising congestion on the roads. Spain has partially confronted the problem by building a wonderful network of roads crisscrossing the countryside. Sometimes a driver can find he has the road all to himself. However, all of those wonderful roads eventually lead to towns and cities, where it all goes horribly wrong.

In the past it has seemed that the problem was addressed by making it very difficult to pass the exams. Firstly, it was necessary to study the rules of the road, followed by exams to determine how much the student had understood and retained. However, I found when sitting my test that it was more about my understanding of how the test was administered than what I had learnt from the book.

This had the effect of holding back the numbers of newly certificated drivers to go out and buy yet a another car to add to the clutter.  One examination center was testing about 5000 students per week, or 20,000 per month times twelve. If everyone who simply knew the information passed , that would add about a quarter of a million new drivers a year on the road. That alone might not be that bad, although it would still increase the clutter if they were only driving cars that were already registered. But, more than likely they would go out and buy their own cars and now we can quickly see the problem.

The economic crisis is generally thought of as a bad thing, but perhaps not down at Trafico. It is having a major effect on driving schools as new student enrolments have fallen dramatically leading to business closures. The impact is both immediate and potentially for the future. There was a time when it was difficult to find anyone of driving age who did not hold a permit. Having a vehicle to travel from one place to another is no longer a luxury. It is an absolute neccesity. For instance, from my village there are two bus journeys a day. One in the morning to take people to the next largest town for connecting bus and train service; and one in the late afternoon back into the village.

Who can conduct business with such restricted public service? If young people are unable to obtain their permits when learning ability is at its best, what are these same people to do as they grow into mature adulthood. True, employment opportunities are scarce but when you add to the mix that you are unable to drive, that is like another nail in the coffin.

This is just another of the sad, but unintended consequences flowing from out of control economic management.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael