Spain of the Mountains

There is that Spain that consists of the low lands that makes driving so very easy. We still manage to kill ourselves and one another on the roads when often we drive along straight open stretches with perfect visibility.

The people of the low lands are a breed unto ourselves. We take Nature for granted. We seem to think nothing of throwing our trash on the ground, and we have to be encouraged to treat the environment with kindness. Except for those people who make a special effort to walk or cycle, (probably because they have had exposure to the mountains) the rest of us want door-to-door car service. Even those of us who live in the country outside of towns and cities, with grand views of the mountains are spoiled. My wife and I live in what I like to describe as an orange tree forest. As far as the eye can see there are orange trees, interspersed with olive trees, and in the background there are the mountain ranges. Beautiful! We are so lucky, but what we have is just a taster of what the other Spain is like.

To experience the high country we have to go to the Spanish Pyrenees. This is the part of the country that takes us up to approximately 3,355+ metres or 11,007 feet above sea level. At that level the air is very light indeed and the going gets tough. This changes everything. The respect of humans changes to realise that in this district man is not king. We have to conduct ourselves with care and concern for the environment and for our own safety.

Starting with driving, those roads that we are so accustomed to simply disappear. The roads become twisting and winding and narrow. However, we still encounter large busses and mega-trucks. It is bad enough when a small car meets one of those beasts. I have no idea what happens when they meet one another on a bend.

Focus is everything. Keep your focus on the road ahead at all times. If you are having a conversation with a passenger sitting beside you, not for one second can you safely take your eyes off the road ahead to look in his direction. I experienced uphill gradients that are rarely encountered, and of course, on the other side there are downhill hairpin twists and turns on unpaved tracks. If your are moving just a little too fast and you slip and slide, that will likely be the end for you.

Our base was the small town of Broto where our son lives and works as a mountain guide. His idea of going for a hike often means going straight up the side of the mountain. We are suitably impressed by the skills he has trained for and acquired, and his knowledge of the mountain is truly encyclopaedic.

As a city slicker I always thought that a mountain is a mountain and once you have seen one, you've seen them all. However, from afar that may be so, but in reality they each have their own special characteristics. Mountains, including waterfalls and lakes and running rivers all represent some of Mother Nature's finest work. To go into these areas means that we should be prepared to be awed by the natural beauty of the natural world.

Expect the best from nature; take photos and leave only footprints; (make no trash) and take care of yourselves.

This advice is extended to all other city slickers like me. The people of the mountains live like this.

Copyright (c) 2016
Eugene Carmichael

Those Hazard Lights

I have this to ask of every car manufacturer: If you are not already doing so, (most of you are not)please consider very carefully placing the button that operates the hazard lights somewhere that we drivers can find it without having to take our eyes away from the situation that is developing and forcing us to stop.

Now, as it is there suddenly develops a situation in front of us that requires us to suddenly stop and to quickly inform the traffic behind us of the danger. We dare not take our focus away from what is happening ahead, but we have to find that damn red triangle button. Most people, I guess react out of  great alarm and we find ourselves scrambling to find the button to activate those four lights.

The past three times I have needed to warn other traffic, in spite of knowing generally where the button is I still failed to locate it on a timely basis without losing my focus. If it is situated on the dashboard to the side of the steering wheel that's no good. If it is placed down on the part near the gear shift, no good because I have to look down. It can't be on the steering wheel because that moves, but perhaps if it were located directly above the steering wheel on the ceiling, or on the dashboard directly in front of the steering wheel I could find it without losing sight of the traffic in front of me.

This is a problem that has existed since motor vehicles were first created. Surely this is one that engineers can design for most efficient usage.

Hope to be able to benefit from more creative thinking on this subject soon.

Copyright (c) 2016
Eugene Carmichael

Some encouraging statistics to live by

It seems drivers on Spanish roads have some relatively good news to celebrate. Deaths on our road system suffered the lowest number since records began in 1960. A total of 1,126 people lost their lives during 2015. The total for 1960 was 1,300. However there were only One million vehicles in all of Spain's roads during that year. Now there are 31 million, so had there been no improvement in our roads system, and had not there been any appreciable improvement in driver care and attention the figure would have been 40,300.

But there have been improvements. Things got a lot worse before getting better. The turning point came, not because drivers realised that if we didn't perform better we would lose our lives, but because the government introduced the points system. Suddenly no-one wanted to lose any points, so from that point onwards there has been a steady decline, except for one year when the number has fallen to the present level.

The report does not tell us what the percentage of young drivers in the 18-34age bracket were that died, but presumably it was 43%, or 476; because it was 19% or 211 in the bracket 35-44. The next bracket, 45-54 the result was 16% or 184; and in the top age bracket it was 22% or 255. So it appears that the two worst brackets are the young drivers and the old ones.

The Dgt are now considering putting forward suggestions for placing limitations upon older drivers who naturally lose some of their concentration as they age.

It comes as no surprise that male deaths account for 79%, while a pleasant surprise is that female losses actually declined by 14% over the previous year.

An instructive statistic is that fully 22% of persons who died did so because they were not wearing their seatbelts. There can be no excuse for this. It is a reflex action to simply cross over the belt and click it into it's lock. If we don't do this it has to be believed to be a deliberate choice because you have a death complex. Therefore, if you do die the cause must surely be one of suicide.

Drive safely, and buckle up!

Copyright (c) 2016
Eugene Carmichael

Vacation Driving

We have now entered that most dangerous time of year on the roads. Driving for our Vacations. This is when we load up the car with the whole family and head for the hills or the beach. We are trying to leave all thoughts of terrorism behind and hopefully to take our families somewhere safe to relax and enjoy one another.

This is an appeal to common sense drivers, because all too often the driver, who is charged with getting everyone there and back safely, becomes the terrorist himself or herself. If we drink alcohol, or drive after a heavy meal, or allow ourselves to become distracted; and especially is we don't stop when we start to feel drowsy we can inflict more damage on the whole family than any terrorist.

The Number One killer on the road during vacation time is closing our eyes due to tiredness. It can strike at any time of day or night. Long straight roads are boring, and boredom leads to tiredness and you only need to close your eyes once. You will most probably never open them again.

So, stay sober and off any type of thing that may impair your judgement, and above all, stay awake!

Live to vacation again next year.

Good luck!

Copyright (c) 2016
Eugene Carmichael