Anticipation

I was not even out of my urbanisation when a driver coming towards me rounded a bend on the wrong side. Clearly he was not thinking that someone else might actually be using the road at that moment.

That got me to thinking about just how many collisions might be avoided if all drivers used anticipation when behind the wheel. So, how would that work? For one thing, had I been driving at a much faster speed there would have been a smash up on that bend, and that would have completely messed up my day.

Any driving school worth its salt would teach the practise of anticipation, reasoning that if you can anticipate that something will happen, you can prepare for it.

What the other driver, in my example, should have done was to presume that there would be another vehicle approaching that bend from the opposite direction and then place his vehicle as close to the right hand side as possible. Then, provided that I did the same thing, and that both our speeds were appropriate for that stretch of road, there would not have even been a chance of a collision.

Notice that I am not using the word “accident” to describe the coming together of two vehicles under normal circumstances. In fact, I can only think of one genuine circumstance that fits the description of accident, and that involves the sudden appearance in the road of a wild animal. All other situations that come to my mind usually involve some fault on someone’s part. (The courts tend to agree.)

Here are some circumstances where anticipation can save the day:
- If you anticipate that you will have to drive or ride at some time during the day, avoid drinking alcohol;
- If you suffered a sleepless night, you can safely assume that embarking on a long, monotonous drive the next day will end badly;
- When driving along country roads with agriculture fields all around, you can anticipate the presence of slow-moving tractors on the road. It would be a particularly bad idea to speed with reckless abandon as a crash into the back of one of those tractors, with their sharp cutting tools might inflict some real pain;
- When driving through an area that is residential and consists of many cross streets, we can anticipate that there will be families living in the vicinity, and their children might be trying out their bikes. This is a time for an abundance of caution, unless you are unafraid of enraged parents.
- When driving at night, by realising that our vision is limited, if we anticipate that there may be people walking along the street wearing dark clothing, or an animal crossing the street ahead, by simply lowering our speed by at least 10 kilometres from our normal day speed, the collision can be avoided. The practise is called “driving within the scope of your lights.”

Stay Safe!

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

The ITV, Annual examination of your Car

This wasn't my car, but I wish it were!

If you drive in Spain the ITV (Inspecció Técnica de vehiculos) needs no introduction. Those of you who might be newcomers,this is Spain’s equivalent to the M.O.T. that you know (and love) so well back in the U.K. Whatever its called in the country in which you live, these are sort of semi-government bodies that perform the task of ensuring that vehicles that use our roads are actually roadworthy. Some say that what they really do is give your car the shock of its life. It may even seem as though they are trying to break it. Mine always limps away after being put through its paces. (My last visit one of the hubcaps dropped off as I drove out the gate. I kid you not.)

I have decided that this shall not be a whingeing, complaining piece about the ITV, but rather just a narration of my experiences.

I drove a Chrysler made-in-Canada mini-van, which is really quite a comfortable car for long journeys. Hence the name “Voyager”. The car was imported into Spain about nine years ago and was ten years old when it was stolen. (That's another story.) That means it went through an inspection that certified it was legal to be driven on these roads, i.e it complied with all technical aspects. Since then it has been inspected by the same station twice. For its 2005 inspection it failed on the first attempt. Not because of the brakes, or suspension, or emissions, or something along the lines of maintenance. No, it failed because of the following things:

(a) The license plate in the front was situated on the left of front instead of in the centre.
(b) The hazard and turn lights to the rear used clear bulbs and clear covering instead of amber.

Well, the first was easy to fix and the second was a real nightmare. The light fixture is a sealed unit allowing only for a change of the bulbs. It is simply not possible to acquire a unit with the correct colour code, and neither is it possible to acquire amber coloured bulbs of the size needed. But they had said, words to the effect don’t come back until you have sorted this out. What was I to do? Scrap the car did cross my mind, but it was in excellent condition. My program of preventative maintenance had kept the car in proper running order, but there I was, faced with an impossible situation.

What on earth had suddenly changed to bring about such demands? Well, probably nothing had changed. I still think that this was one of those things where a case of different personnel made all the difference. The position of the license plate made me unique among traffic. Why was I not in conformity? And hazard lights in white, and white turn signals, how did anyone ever know what I was doing during the day? So sure, I could see their point, but how did this pass for so long. Don’t ask me, we have to ask the brilliant designers, whom I would like to meet someday.

To make this otherwise long story short I found the solution one very early morning when a still small voice said to me in my dreams, “ paint the bulb stupid!” “Eh!”, said I. And so, that is exactly what I did. Finding orange colour transparent paint for glass was amazingly easy. You look for it in the section under artist’s supplies. It goes on easy and dries very fast and Bob’s your uncle!

The process for submitting to the scheduled ITV examination is to go to the one nearest your residence, although probably you could go to any one you choose, and you determine which line you should be in and you place your car in that line, thus assuring your place in the queue. Then go to the office with your ITV booklet. There they will extract some money from you depending on certain criteria, such as whether your car has a catalytic converter or not. My cost was 42.27euros.

The examination is very thorough, starting with suspension, brakes, tires, lights, level of dipped and long-beam headlights, seatbelts, license plate position, horn, emissions, noise level, and a bunch of things they do by going under the car. Very disquieting that! During the course of the examination there are machines that severely test suspension and brakes beyond anything I normally encounter on the road. Should the car fail you are given a fail slip noting the things that must be corrected, and you have two months to complete the repairs. Meanwhile, ITV hold the car´s permit to circulate on the road, so you really are not permitted to carry on driving it to work for two months. You may only drive the car to a garage and back to the ITV after the repairs.

The personnel are usually a good bunch of guys just doing their jobs. I agreed with their findings, so I’m not complaining. Its just that as the car was beginning to show its age I was expected to make all these things right just before junking it. Life's funny that way!

Death on the roads! 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

Lewis Hamilton, Formula One Driver

Lewis Hamilton
F1 Driver Extraordinaire & Phenom

Perhaps only someone who comes from a small island in the Caribbean can really appreciate how extraordinary the story of Lewis Hamilton is.


While it’s true that Hamilton was actually born in Hertfordshire, England, on January 7, 1985, his grandparents came from the island of Grenada. The blood that flows through his veins is that of an Carib-Afro-English young man, and that alone makes him a stand out in the sport of Formula One racing. That he got to be where he is means that he is possessed of a talent that cannot be ignored. It took a quantum leap to go from the “A” of his heritage to the rarefied air that is the “Z” of Formula Racing. I think that, barring misfortune, this is the Tiger Woods of Formula Racing that we are seeing.

Michael Schumacher has left some very big shoes for someone else to step into. That person will have to be unlike anyone else in racing history. I think that Team McLaren
Mercedes recognize this and have chosen this young man as the Great Hope to take the sport to another level.

Certainly his background is truly impressive. He began karting at the age of eight, back in 1995, and immediately began showing that he was something special as he made winning look so easy. “He was born to the cockpit” was the most common expression heard around the track.

His progression came quickly. He entered the Cadet programme for 1995 and 1996; then in 1997 he moved on into the Junior Yamaha programme. Next came the Junior Intercontinental “A” trials in 1998 and 1999, which saw him confirmed into the full Intercontinental “A” list. The year 2000 saw him introduced into the heady world of Formula “A” racing.

As evidence of his ability to impress people who don’t impress easily, he became the youngest racer to proudly hold a Formula contract when he was only 13 years of age. He was not even legally able to contract on his own without the support of an adult.

The greatest recognition of all usually comes from within the industry. For Hamilton, to have been made a member by the British Racing Driver’s Club of “The Rising Star” group must have been particularly sweet and encouraging. Such accolades are not come by easily, and for the recipients they have profound meaning.

He began his professional racing career effectively in 2001 driving for Renault in the British Formula Renault Winter Series. He finished a respectful fifth overall, and that was encouraging enough for Formula Renault Team and Manor Motorsport to sign him for a full season’s racing card for 2002. He improved on 2001 by finishing the season with an overall third place position, including one outright win.

His 2003 year was great as he began to get comfortable. That year, he won the Formula Renault Series with ten wins and eleven starts at pole position.

He encountered a rough ride in 2004 as he advanced to the Formula 3 class and the Euroseries. He had bad luck in the Brands Hatch Season Finale when he crashed not just once, but in both races, which saw him spend time in hospital. His injuries, while not to be understated, were not life threatening, and he went on to make a complete recovery.

The year 2005 was a much better friend to him as he won 15 of the 20 card season, quite literally dominating the championship and giving a taste of things to come. This was his breakthrough year as he moved into the GP2 series and won in his debut year of running with the big boys. He achieved that, but not before winning the “Ultimate Masters of the Formula 3” challenge, as if an exclamation mark. There was no stopping him. He was on his way to F1 and he would immediately make his mark.

The McLaren Mercedes Vodafone announcement establishing Lewis Hamilton as Number 2 driver, second only to Fernando Alonso for the 2007 season, while met with joy and excitement, was also no surprise. Lewis had earned his place, and has his shot at super-stardom. He started out the season by distinguishing himself at the Australian Grand Prix. The race was between Kimi Raekkonen, driving for team Ferrari, and Fernando and Lewis.

Kimi won ahead of Alonso by a comfortable 7.2 seconds, but the real news from Albert Park was that for much of the race Hamilton was leading Alonso, and this was Hamilton’s debut F1 race. It’s a controversial practice, but in general, Team managements have been known to order their number two driver to allow number one to get ahead. There is no suggestion that perhaps that may have happened in this case, but it would not have been the first time for a number two to be reigned in.

Hamilton has a unique ability to overtake where others sensibly hold back. Perhaps it’s a matter of ice-cold nerves and superb timing. Champions are made of little extras like that. For Tiger Woods it’s the capability of absolute focus. Perhaps, for Lewis Hamilton it’s a fire in the belly and a hunger to be the very best racing driver of all time.

Everybody remembers the one and the only “I am the Greatest” Mohamed Ali. He said he was the greatest boxer of all time, and we believed him. Lewis Hamilton also seems determined to make believers of us all.

Watch this Space!

For the rest of us, please don’t overtake along two-way road systems. Save your life for those who love you!

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

Speed Kills! (and Kills; and Kills; and Kills!)

I read in one of the Spanish newspapers the opinion of a fellow columnist who was trying to make the case that speed on the Spanish roads was fine, provided it was coupled with what he called security and technique. I was in the midst of formulating an opposing reply when, except for the great floods of 1957, the most horrific calamity in Valencia´s history occurred. As reported, a train in the Metro system travelled at twice the posted speed limit and jumped the track, resulting in at least 42 deaths and many more to recuperate from their injuries.

I do not presume to know the reasons why the train was travelling so fast, but should it turn out to have been recklessness and bad judgement, that will be in line with the usual reasons associated with motoring disasters. One thing is clear: Speed Kills!

The attitude that “driving fast with security is O.K”. is all too prevalent on Spanish roads. Particularly young people believe in this. These are people who talk exceedingly fast; who walk very fast; who wolf down their food entirely too fast, and who drive too fast. But speed with security on Spanish roads is a myth. It simply does not exist, and this myth is one of the things that the government is determined to shatter as part of the new points system crackdown.

The only place that speed with security and technique can be practised is on the race track at Cheste. There they have a controlled environment. Before a race the track is inspected and all foreign matter is removed. There are no pedestrians crossing the street while racing is underway (at least there shouldn’t be), or children playing football on open ground alongside the track. Traffic flows one-way, and there is no mix of traffic. In motorcycle racing there are only motorcycles of only one class, or one class of cars when cars are racing. Even then, there are some spectacular smashes. Drivers run the risk of coming to harm, but they accept that risk. Steps are taken to minimize the risk, but nonetheless the risk is quite high that someone could get seriously hurt. Even the fans that love a great and spectacular crash would rather that the driver walked away unharmed.

The comparison between Cheste raceway driving and driving the highways and by-ways of Spain should be like night and day. We know that, due to the congestion of traffic that sooner or later we will be bumped by someone, or that we will bump into someone, but it should not be such as to cause loss of life. Fender-benders are part of the norm of motoring, but smashing head-long into another vehicle causing death(s) is totally unacceptable. When excessive speed is involved, and all too often it is, then it is all the more unacceptable. We do not accept as a normal risk that a drive to the supermarket will probably result in our death. If we lived in Iraq, maybe. But this is Spain!

Those road traffic signs that set speed limits are usually there for a good reason. I often find myself driving along a particular stretch of road at a speed that I find comfortable. By comfortable I mean that I am in complete control when taking corners, and I approach blind spots so that should there be a sudden hazard I can bring my car to a halt by braking in a soft and progressive manner. When I notice the speed limit sign and compare that to the speed that I am doing, if the two agree I am well pleased, and that is proof positive to me that the engineers have got it right.

That is not to say that I always agree with the deployment of road speed signs. There is much work that needs to be done to refine the thinking behind the placement of such signs. For example, on one stretch of road traffic leaving the town where the speed limit is 50 km/h is advised that the new limit is 70km/h. Less than fifty metres past that sign is another that states 50km/h while crossing a dangerous junction. What was the point of the 70km/h sign?

A Spanish buddy picked me up and drove me to a place where we had a mutual appointment. He habitually drives very fast, dodging in and out of traffic, doing all the nightmarish things that I curse out drivers like him for doing. Curiously, I didn´t feel very anxious as he was so confident. I´m sure he could have made that car do anything he wanted it to do. However, he was certainly not ready for the unexpected. He passed a couple of cars that were driving in the middle lane by going to their right. Had one of them decided to move over into the right lane, where they should have been, we would have had a collision. He also appeared so suddenly behind other vehicles that had they been about to overtake the car in front of them we would likely have had a collision.

Finally we arrived at our destination in plenty of time, where we then had lunch and put our feet up for the rest of the afternoon. So, all that speeding to get there was not even necessary.

Please don´t overtake on two-way road systems. Save your life for those who love you!

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

Get Lost! It can be Fun.

Discovering the country we live in involves a constant process of getting lost and finding ourselves some place we have never been before. Over the past eight years I have come to know Spain from as far north as Andorra on the Spanish border, to as far south as Mazzaron.

Spain is so diverse. I am always impressed by the fact that one can be on the ski slopes in the morning, and in the afternoon on the beach in warm sunshine. Also, this country is steeped in history. To particularly study the Civil War period and then to visit Teruel in Aragon Province is to walk reverently through the pages of a terrible chapter in Spain’s history. It is also a popular destination for people in and around Valencia City to ski in Winter. As my habitual home is in the mountains outside Valencia City, we decided one day last Christmas to have a day out skiing. We chose the ski slopes at Javalambre.

There are two ways to approach the area. If one is travelling to or from the direction of Madrid along the N-111, the turnoff is at Utiel where you head in the direction of Teruel along the N-330. If starting the journey somewhere near the A-7 by-pass around Valencia, one would travel north along the A-7 to Sagunto, then head inland along the N-234 towards Teruel. This is the better road, although it generally is much busier than the other route.

We chose to head toward Madrid from our starting point near to the town of Cheste with its famous Formula-One racing circuit. At Utiel, a famous wine producing area, being one half of the Requena-Utiel denominacion de origen, one turns off the motorway and heads inland following the signs for Teruel. However, we were hoping not to have to travel all the way north to Teruel, which would mean actually passing the mountain slopes, because then we would have had to then turn south to travel the considerable distance toward Sagunto to reach the turnoff for the pistas de Javalambre. What we were hoping for was a short-cut across to our destination.

As we drove we realised we were getting very close to the town of Teruel. Our route was beautiful and interesting. We were driving through agricultural areas in the early morning icy mist/fog, and frozen winter scenes. We passed through sleepy pueblos, including Ademuz, which is a little area of land that is separated from the Communidad de Valencia, but in fact is a part of the Community. There is an interesting story here, but for another time.

Finally we spotted the sign we thought we were looking for on the right side of the road and eagerly turned right. The state of the road did not look like one leading to a major ski slope, but we knew we were taking a side entrance. Little did we know what we were letting ourselves in for. The real purpose of this column is to warn others not to make the same mistake. The sign we saw was indicating that the Javalambre zone was in the direction the arrow was pointing, but the correct way to the ski slope was to go through the town of Teruel and then turn south to the turnoff.

Our route took us along narrow ridges, down into deep valleys, alongside a river, around and up many hairpin bends, over what is known as la ruta forestall, which is an unpaved track that was covered in ice and snow in certain places. We were not prepared for this as we were without snow chains, and to make matters worse, at one point the car mysteriously stalled. It was unlikely that Mapfre could have found us in the thick of the forest.

Somewhat amusingly, as we passed a barn we thought we saw a person. By that time we needed to confirm that we were headed in the correct direction, so we stopped and my wife called out to get the person’s attention , who we hoped was in the barn. Every time she called out “Oiga!”, back came the reply “Baaaa!” from the goats. “Oiga!”, “Baaaaaa!”. Finally the person appeared and confirmed that we would get there along the path we were on. What a path! Even a 4x4 might have been challenged but my Chrysler performed well, and in the process we saw some of the most breathtaking scenery, unlike any other we have seen in our experience here.

A final note: although we had not planned on such an adventure, with the exception of snow chains we were well provisioned to keep comfortable including food and drink and blankets.

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

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

OverCrowding

I drive quite long distances, and in the process I have become really well acquainted with coastal Spain as well as many parts of the inland zones. I have encountered some truly horrific routes, but I have also encountered some wonderful ribbons of highway. Pity I don’t actually enjoy driving, but if I did these modern stretches of roadway would be a dream. Shame there has to be other traffic about.

Spain’s roads have undergone a real metamorphosis from ugly ducklings to beautiful swans. I enjoy watching old Spanish films shot on location. How different the road system was then. To travel to Madrid from anywhere was a major adventure. Of course there are still remnants of the old roads running right alongside the new. I often find myself alone for long stretches and at times like that I hear echoing in my head of the word “overcrowding”. If I didn’t know better I might question that, but I know all too well what that word means.

It is a word that all European countries, including the U.K. are coming to hate. We can build more and better highways, but they all have a destination in some small town, or even the very large cities that simply cannot cope. The motorcar is no longer a luxury. For most families it’s an absolute necessity, and indeed we need more than one per household because it’s a freedom machine. These are times when we need to pick up and go at the drop of a hat. So, given that philosophy there is no political solution to the problem of too many vehicles on our roads.

The only country with a significant population (for its size) that almost had the answer is my own Bermuda. The enabling legislation of the Motorcar Act, 1947, that allowed private use of motor vehicles, contained the proviso that there could be no more than one car per family household, which is still in effect today. Thus, a ten-person family could have only one car attached to their home. But in time as prosperity came and young people acquired good paying jobs they moved away from home so that they could get their own set of wheels. Now we have too many homes and vehicles. But it did keep the numbers of cars down for a very long time.

There is no turning the clock back. There is a tidal wave of young people who have a reasonable expectation of gaining their driving permit, but they are finding it increasingly difficult to get through the process. Some countries that previously had no theory test to speak of, now challenge the applicant with a test akin to a university course. Also, or so it seems, the practical test is so rigid that if most highly experienced drivers were put through it most would not pass. (Especially because of our bad habits).

So, where is all this heading? Already we see gridlock in the cities on good days. In Valencia, I have long given up on driving into the city. I know my way round quite well, but there is simply no place to park. Even in the pay car parks it is often extremely difficult to find a space. The last time I went downtown it took me about twenty minutes to find the last available space in paid parking. Should one be so lucky as to find a space on the street to parallel park, when you come back you will likely find that another whole row of cars have hemmed you in. You could be there until next week. Who knows?

As for travelling the N-332 anywhere along the coast: Forget it! During the Winter period traffic crawls. Cometh the Summer and the tourists. In the not too distant future they will have to get their tans by sticking their arms out the car windows. I fear that towns like Alicante, Torrevieja , Murcia and Cartagena will soon see the day when no-one will go anywhere. (Going out in the car will mean having to take lunch). Benidorm already knows what that’s like in the Summer.

When I first came to Orihuela Costa it was the Winter and everybody warned me that it would be horrible when the Summer came. So I quickly learned all the back streets to be ready. When the tourist jams did occur I laughed and headed for the secret back streets, only to get stuck in the local jams. Is there no justice?

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

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

Just one of those Things?

So often horrible events take place on the road, and in response we shake our heads, go tut! tut! and say, “well, that’s just one of those things!” And then we say to the surviving members of the grieving family, “now you need to go on with your life.” I have been reflecting on a number of such situations and I must admit I have no idea how surviving family members are supposed to do that.

In the United States, the great comedian Bill Cosby and his wife lost their only son out of five offspring. Their son was driving his very expensive car one fateful night when he had a flat tyre. While changing the tyre another person came upon the scene, and in what was described as an opportunistic crime based on the assumption that since this was a driver of such a high value car there must be other valuables for the taking. The robbery went horribly wrong and the son was killed in the process. Mr. Cosby makes magical comedy. How on earth he can continue to find humour in anything when we can reasonably be sure that not a day goes by without recurring thoughts of their overwhelming loss.

In my own country, Bermuda a young man from a family whom I know well was someone with so much promise. He was an outstanding student, a fine athlete, a very handsome person with all the charm in the world. One day he pulled into a petrol station on his off-road motorbike and there he lowered the side stand that allowed the bike to rest at a side angle. Having refuelled he set off and made a right turn exiting the property. However, he made a deadly mistake. He failed to return the side stand to its folded position. There traffic circulates on the left-hand side of the road, and as he approached a left-hand bend he leaned left whereupon the side stand dug into the ground bringing the bike to a sudden stop throwing its rider headlong into an oncoming truck. He was killed instantly.

I doubt that anyone on that island has ever forgotten. I know his family never will. And neither shall I. That’s why I recommend to any rider of a motorcycle with a side stand arm that swings down and has to be swung back up, remove that killer piece now. The more high-end motorcycles that have them also have a failsafe switch, so that if the rider forgets to put the stand in the up position, when he puts the engine in gear it will stop running. The rider cannot get underway until the situation has been rectified.

Do we say to them, “well, now you must try to go on with your life.” What life?

On one of Spain’s interurban roads a family of five were returning home after a day out. The road they were travelling was one of two lanes in opposite directions. Ahead of them loomed a gentle bend in the road to the left. Apparently what happened next was the following scenario: a car being driven by a young man with his girlfriend as passenger came round the bend at top speed and the centrifugal/centripetal forces were too much for him to keep the car under control at such speed and in his lane. Consequently he ran head-on into the family car at such force that all concerned were taken from the scene to arrive at hospital DOA. (Dead on Arrival). One young man’s folly has affected forever too many families to contemplate.

Just one of those things? Certainly not!

Finally, another young man, another tragedy. This driver set out at one end of a residential road where he drove at speeds topping more than three times the posted limit. Near the other end of the road a child set out to cross the street. Had the driver kept to the speed limit, which was set for the good reason that this was a residential area, that child would have crossed safely and in all likelihood he would be alive today, growing up to fulfil his promise. Instead he was mown down like a blade of grass by a speeding machine that travelled the distance in a mere fraction of the time it should have taken. Some people were heard to say that it was such a shame, but it was just one of those things.

What do you think?

Death on the roads? It doesn’t have to end like that! Speed kills!

Stay safe! Drive safely!

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

How Distracted are You?

“The leading cause of distracted driving arises because some people conduct themselves in their cars as if in their living rooms.”

We are all familiar with the refrain “ but I only took my eyes off the road for a split second!” No reason to disbelieve the speaker because that´s all it takes, a nano-second for a well ordered life to slip into absolute chaos.

Distraction is at the heart of so many collisions that it is now getting the same type of recognition as driving while impaired. One is DWI, and the other is DWD. On the one hand it is not good to drive for long durations without a glance to the side, as to do otherwise is to risk becoming hypnotized; the crucial thing is timing. When to avert one’s gaze from time to time for relief, and also to flex one’s fingers.

There are just so many things competing for our attention. Firstly we have to be aware of motorists who would pass us on our right side. These could be motorcycle riders, (normally moped riders) when we are slowed by traffic, to other cars if we are in the central lane on a motorway outside town. Then, of course there are the plethora of road signs, both as to speed and direction, and the special circumstantial signs that have to do with detours and road works. So, really, do we need all those signs about Real Estate Agencies, supermarkets, hardware stores, shopping centres, fast foods, and the like?

“Hands-Free Mobile Phones”
Into this mix some bright spark thought it would be a good idea if we drove while holding a telephone up to our ear. Fortunately we are coming to our senses on this one. I have a “hands-free” mobile unit that is very efficient, but I must admit that I do find that my concentration for the road is shared with that of my conversation with my caller. I did reason in the past that it was the same as talking to my front seat passenger, which in itself is distracting, but I’m coming around to the view that the telephone is more demanding.

For one thing, I am always concerned that my caller can hear me, so the volume of my voice is always higher than if I was speaking to a passenger next to me. By that sheer effort more concentration is put into that conversation. Increasingly, I am letting the phone ring as I drive, electing instead to ring back when I am well and truly safely able to do so. It is prohibited to use mobile phones with earpieces or headsets, as these mask over essential road sounds.






Smoking while driving.

I have no personal experience of this but it does seem to be a prime source of distraction. Lighting the cigarette with the electric lighter, as efficient as that is does require that few seconds when you have to look at where you are putting the lighter. And then there is the matter of ash management, and stray ash is at least dirty, if not actually hot.

GPS

These are marvellous technologies that can be very helpful.(They can also get you completely lost.) At times I sure could use some help in finding some of the addresses that I need to get to, but if I have the GPS screen to look at while driving that could be even worse than driving and looking for a street name that is usually written in such small letters that you have to be standing right up close to read it. The voice direction is good, but I do think that the screen should not be visible to the driver. That is something for the passenger/navigator.

Car Stereo/CD player/Radio


A car without the above is incomplete because these could be counted as a safety measure to keep the driver alert. When playing the radio it is frequently necessary to change stations. Best to be able to do this by touch rather than actually having to look at the display. If a CD, at least that can be set up before staring the journey and would not normally need any more attention from the driver. This is about as good as it gets.

Daydreaming/Meeting Planning/ Mental Column Writing/Apologising to Partners

Long journeys where the scenery is so familiar encourages all sorts of mental activity that is outside that of concentrating on the road. Fatigue is also a killer that must be carefully planned out of the question. But the most common thing we do is to start daydreaming about what we would do if we won the lottery. On a more constructive level, if we are driving to meet with clients we tend to strategise how we will conduct ourselves in the meeting. It simply is as natural a thing to do as breathing, but being aware of the possible negative consequences of being so distracted is important if we are to avoid the failure to arrive.

I am always writing this column because by simply getting behind the wheel the ideas start to flow like fine wine. I am learning however, that I must put things in perspective and that a simple one-word thought is enough. I don’t need to have the whole thing written by the time I arrive at my destination..

Finally, driving while emotionally upset deserves a column all its own, which I may attempt at some future date. This can be the set-up of a very deadly end result of a string of events. When a couple clash in the home over something or other, and that results in one person storming out of the house and into the car, full of anger or tears, the ability to drive becomes perhaps even more impaired than through alcohol, and may even include a death wish. How many innocent other road users have become entangled in what was originally a lover´s break-up?


Motorcyclists! Please wear the lime-green reflective “Gerry Jacket” by day as well as at night. Be Seen to be Safe!



Copyright © 2006-2007 Eugene Carmichael

The Bermuda Long Riders Motorcycle Club

Motorcycle clubs all over the world have one thing in common: these are big girls and boys with their grown up toys. Bikers just love their machines, more than anything else in the world. I am now going to use the “we” form throughout because I include myself.

We cherish our machines, we tend to their every ping and tinkle; we keep them in our living rooms during periods of inclement weather, or even the hint of bad weather. Wives and girlfriends will almost always be in the club, or they will be left alone as he joins all the other hobbyists as they go on long and exciting rides.

Bermuda may indeed be a small island, but Bermuda bikers have a big heart and a love of biking on a par with any other club one might care to mention.

I was privileged to attend a blessing and dedication of the club on Sunday, April 15, 2007 while in Bermuda. It was quite an impressive sight as bikers rolled up on their customized “Hogs”. The maximum power rating allowed is 150cc, but other than that all the gear that could be expected was in evidence.

Please bear in mind the size of the island is 35 kilometers long by three kilometers wide, and the maximum speed limit is 35 km/h, so really 150cc is way more power than actually needed. Club riding is not about speed or long distance necessarily, but is more about the camaraderie and the feeling of fraternity that comes from the sense of brotherhood.

The club draws its 150 members, both male and female from all walks of life. The common interest is the machine.

Before setting out on a ride that would cover seventy kilometers, there was a very touching moment when an ailing member who was off-island in a North American hospital was contacted by phone and was able to speak with all those assembled. We wished Mr. Carson Marshall a speedy recovery. Alas, it was not to be as he has since passed to ride the great highway in the sky.

When you visit Bermuda the only form of transport that you can hire is a moped. Consequently, you will be able to retrace the ride of The Long Riders as experienced by myself.

The day was perfect, sunny with a light breeze. We set off in a convoy of thirty-five bikes from the City Hall parking lot in Hamilton and headed towards the East End of the island, traveling along the South Shore Road.

Thirty-five bikes is not a lot, considering I have ridden in a group of 500 in another country, but in that small space that is an impressive number. Our ride took us along roads shaded by overhead greenery and a riot of color of spring flowers and vegetation.

The pungent smell of flowering bushes and hedges was at times so strong as to be heady. That included the smell of fresh cut grass that I love so much. Not that I love to cut the grass, but to my sense of smell if one actually tasted the grass it would probably be quite sweet. I must ask a cow!

Always, the cleanliness of the island is outstanding and noticeable. That is no accident, as the island is a tourist destination and is kept pristine clean for the showplace that it is.

Bermuda has been described as a grown-up Disney World. Perhaps, that’s not too far from the truth.

Our route took us along roads that passed churches that were emptying of their congregation in their Sunday best. Cheerful greetings were exchanged.

We had crystal clear blue seas on our right as we hugged the coast for part of the way. We passed sun worshipers on the beach at John’s Smith Bay, and bewildered golfers waiting to tee-off as our seeming never-ending procession meandered through the world famous Mid-Ocean and Castle Harbour golf courses.

Bermuda’s buses are painted pink, and meeting one coming in the opposite direction resulted in a very happy greeting.

And on we went passing small boats in the bay, airplanes on the tarmac at the island’s only airport, The L.F. Wade International Airport, and across bridges while sea traffic passed below, until we reached the Ole Town of St. George’s, which is twinned with Lyme Regis, Dorset, England. This was the original capital of Bermuda, established in 1609 upon the re-discovery of the island by Admiral Sir George Somers, the British explorer.

The island was originally discovered by the Spanish explorer, Juan de Bermudez approximately 100 years before. However, about 1543 the Spanish Crown declared it had no further interest in this tiny rock in the middle of the Atlantic. It is entirely possible that should the present Spanish Crown visit Bermuda they may very well want it back.

We terminated our outward bound ride on Ordinance Island just off the main square in the town. The following week that would become the berthing place of weekly cruise ships from New York and Boston. On May the 13th the Long Riders were joined by a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Club that were carrying their bikes with them on a cruise. They were given special permission to ride their over- powered cycles on Bermuda’s roads in what would was a very exciting event, the likes of which Bermuda had never seen before. Even those people who know the Harley-Davidson and Honda Goldwings well discovered a new appreciation for them in that context. I wish I could have been there!

The Bermuda Long Riders Motorcycle Club are a truly delightful group of well disciplined men and women, and I am certain that they would be very happy to hear from clubs here in Spain. Their web address is http://www.blrmc.com/ Like many other clubs they use the power of their association to do good and positive works, such as to Ride for the Needy; and for specific Charity Fundraisers; and therein lies their strength. They will no doubt be happy to welcome you and to show you their Bermuda from the saddle-seat.

Motorcyclists! Be Seen to be Safe! Wear a lime-green reflective “Gerry Jacket” vest at all times.

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

La Multa (The Traffic Fine)

I have often wondered how the Spanish system works in case I happened to commit a road offence.

Well, it was first thing in the morning on a cool crisp January day. Traffic was fairly heavy with most people on their way to work, probably thinking about the problems ahead. My drive would normally take forty-five minutes if traffic cooperates, and so far this morning all was going well. But then, there was a sudden slow down where I didn’t expect it reducing to a crawl. Up ahead to the right on a piece of open ground there was the sight of several parked cars. In fact it looked like a market day parking lot. As I drew nearer it became apparent that The Guardia Civil were in action pulling cars off the road. I have been through several of these checkpoints and know the routine by now, so no worries. After all, my documents were in order if they wanted me to stop.

Well, they did want me to stop, so I pulled off and parked where indicated and waited. And waited. And waited some more to the point of impatience. Finally an officer approached and gave that lovely salute which I returned by a tip of my cap. “Ever so civilized”, I thought. He asked for my Permiso de Conducir, (my license) which I handed over, but he didn’t seem at all interested in the documents for the car. This was unusual, but it failed to trigger the alarm that it should have. Then the good gentlemen proceeded to enter into a longish monologue, most of which I did not understand, but the words that leaped out at me like alien monsters were, “camara”, “ha capturado su coche,” “excesiva velocidad”, “ochenta cautro en la zona seiscenta kilometres”. I missed the rest, I was too busy recoiling in horror. My mind said, “Oh Oh!”. Funny how those two little words can sum up so adequately every cataclysmic event known to mankind.

Well, I was truly busted. (Later, when I revisited the scene, as one tends to do, I looked for the sign that I, and a cast of dozens had overlooked to our chagrin. There was not one, we had passed three warning us to slow to 60 km/h, so we had absolutely not a leg to stand on). I had truly worked hard for my fine, but I wasn’t expecting to have to part with 200 euros so suddenly. That’s approximately 8.33 euros per kilometre over the posted limit. Ouch! But then the agent with the kind voice assured me that if I paid the fine within 15 days I would be allowed a discount of 30%. In this country, the after Christmas sales period is discount time in all the shops. But to get a 30% discount on my fine too left me wondering whether to laugh or cry.



So, these are the mechanics of paying a “multa” (traffic fine): If you are a visitor driving on your home issued license, or for that matter a resident driving on a foreign license, (“Oh Oh!), the fine is paid then and there. No, you don’t get to ask the audience or phone a friend, although you might have to if you have no other way to satisfy the demand. Your car will be immobilised until the fine is paid. Credit/debit card or cash will do.

Otherwise, you are issued with your denuncia which you can take along to any Trafico office, and there you first go to the window marked “sanciones” and show your denuncia, which is in duplicate. It is scrutinized and if not requiring any special action,(like Heaven knows what) it is stamped and you are directed to the next window where, in my case I parted with 140 euros. (“200 euros less 30%). Peculiarly, the lady taking my cash and issuing me with a receipt was one of the most pleasant clerks I have ever encountered anywhere in Spain. What a place to find her.

And that was it, over in less than three minutes. It takes me longer to buy a necktie.

The real significance of this tale is that I was trapped by a speed camera, one of Britain’s less welcome exports, and in spite of promises made that they would only be employed along with warning signs that state “Speed camera in Operation”, there were no such signs. So, be warned, particularly when you encounter zones where the normal speed is reduced. Adhere to the slower speed. Those signs are placed there for a reason. Stay within the speed limit because the slowdown signs appear very suddenly.

You may wonder what happens should you forget to pay within the 15 days. One poor soul found out. The fine was increased by 20% and the money taken out of his bank account by the TAX authority. Yikes!

Death on the roads? It doesn’t have to end like that!
Stay Safe! Drive safely, and don’t speed!

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

Be a Good Samaritan - It's the Law!

While driving along a country road I happened upon an accident that had just occurred. A van had tipped on its side, an injured woman lay in the road moaning loudly; evidently other occupants of the van stood idly by, and a lone policeman was directing traffic around the wreckage. There were two other cars that had stopped to render assistance. The policeman waved me on, but to be sure that I covered my obligations I asked him if he wanted my help. Having been told no, I continued on.

Road users have a duty in law to stop and to render assistance to an accident scene unless excused. Failure to do so could result in prosecution. This is an obligation that I take seriously because if it is my turn to need help I can only expect to receive it if I am prepared to do my best for my fellow travellers.

To know First-Aid is a good idea anyway for the sake of our own families. The situation on the road can lead to some awful accident sites where every ounce of such knowledge can be tested. Even jaded ambulance teams can be shocked by what they encounter, yet by law ordinary members of the motoring public are expected to take action to intervene.

What does one do should one encounter a scene where there are multiple injured. Essentially this would involve practising triage, something medical personnel say they hate to have to do. Triage is the determination of which injured person needs attention first. Lay opinion is divided, but if the person is demanding attention very loudly, he’s living and probably not in danger of expiring right away.


Conventional wisdom suggests some commonsense things to do, and just as important not to do upon arriving on the scene of an accident:
- In the case of an injured person wearing a crash helmet, unless the helmet is actually strangling the person to death, it should not be handled at all by the first-aider.
- The injured person must not be given anything by mouth.
- The crash site should not be modified by persons attending, except to prevent further injury, damage or another crash.
- Do nothing to cause secondary injuries, such as moving the injured person simply to make them more comfortable. Spinal injures could result through improper handling.
- Do not directly touch a person’s open wounds.

The list of things to do in accident site management is seemingly endless. The first thing to do, in my opinion is that when stopping to help, make certain that your own vehicle is parked so as not to be the cause of another crash. (Did you ever see someone’s haphazardly parked car at some weird angle, with the driver’s door wide open.) Activate your hazard lights.
Secondly, make sure to wear your reflective jacket, day or night. This includes motorcyclists. Thirdly, I would call for emergency help just based on my initial observations before I began working with the injured. Once that process begins I would need to concentrate on my patient.

Many people believe that the first fifteen minutes of arrival of the first persons on the scene are golden because this is the period when a person’s life can be saved and his condition stabilized, and secondary injuries can be prevented through proper protocol. However, it's important to keep in mind that we are administering only First-Aid. We are not required to function as paramedics, nor as doctors. I was always taught that in assessing an injured person to follow the A-B-C guidelines.

A: Check for a clear Airway and loosen clothing that might cause a restriction around the throat. Such as neckties, scarves, unbutton the first and possibly the second button of the shirt.
B: Check for Breathing. Lack of breathing requires assisted breathing techniques, i.e. mouth-to-mouth. Here would also be a good time to check for a pulse.
C: Consciousness. Although presented to me in this order, (ABC) I would actually check for consciousness first. I think the idea was that these are the three things to check for and are easy to remember as ABC. However, if we don’t check first whether the person is conscious we might get half way through doing the other two things only to be shocked by the person ask loudly, “ what are you doing?”

Clearly, having to provide road-side assistance of this sort is a grave responsibility. In Spain we are commanded by law to carry out Good Samaritan principles. We can only do our best.. One more important point: always protect a lady’s modesty!

Death on the roads? It doesn’t have to end like that!

Don´t overtake on two-way road systems.. Save your life for those who love you.

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

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

First Time Motorcyclists

Congratulations to my son, Nathaniel, on gaining his A1 motoring permit. This allows him to ride motorcycles up to 125 cc. In obtaining his permit he has achieved the near impossible, in that not only was he challenged to pass the theory exam for the motorcycle, which is difficult enough, but he also had to pass the exam for cars, although he won’t be eligible to drive one until he is eighteen. He is at present nearly seventeen.

The thinking behind this is that the same set of rules applies to both types of vehicles, and because the 125cc can travel at speeds of up to 120 km/h, he must be well versed in the rules as though he were applying for a car license. I personally can support that, and I would rather that his preparation was over complete, than lacking in important detail.

What makes this a difficult challenge is that he had to study from two sets of textbooks, and the exams were administered on the same day. He passed both tests on the first try, and the exams were taken in Spanish, and he did it all himself. Normally, with a bit of luck one might pass one and fail one. I am particularly proud of his achievement because I too took my theory in Spanish, having arrived in Spain with no command of the language at all. So, like father, like son, although he went one better and took two on the same day.

He then went on to do his practical, and that involved going to a special driving school that trains motorcyclists, truckers and bus drivers on a special track. The system here in Spain does not allow for gaining practical instruction by going on the road with an experienced driver, who might be one of your family, as is the case in the U.K. So, one can only get some experience by taking driving lessons in a school-owned car or motorbike.

He proved so adept that after only four training sessions he was deemed ready for the test, which is conducted in Valencia at the El Saler examination centre. Again, on the first try he passed. And now, he has his wings. Our young lad turned an important milestone, and we, as his parents will have concerns whenever he is out of the house. Time marches on and soon he will don tie and suit and have little people who will address him as Dad.

I wrote in a previous column on Young Motorists (see my blog address above) that this is just not enough to properly prepare our first-time motorists to deal with these roads. So, I’m going to share with you some of the extra tuition that I have given to my son:

Always wear your helmet securely on your head.

Particularly with bikes, too much speed is your worst enemy, and is almost always present in crashes. You are especially vulnerable without the surround of the cage that car drivers have. Also, stay focused; pay attention; avoid surprises.

You are not authorised to carry a pillion passenger until you have attained your eighteenth birthday.

Once you have your licence confine your riding to the daytime for at least a couple of weeks as you gain in riding experience and grow comfortable with your machine. Save night riding until later because there is a very real difference. Roads that are familiar during the day become new roads at night. Do one thing at a time.

If your bike has a sidestand that will allow you to operate the bike if it is still in the down position, discuss this with your mechanic, because should you move off with it in the down position it will probably result in your death. Have it removed or have it spring back to the up position the moment you take the weight of the bike off it.

If the bike is a 125 cc and can attain speeds of at least 100km/h, you have a perfect right to occupy the middle of the lane in which you are travelling. That is to say that if you position your bike close to the right hand side of the lane, cars will be tempted to push past you, even pushing you off the road. However, should you position your bike in the centre of the lane the car that wishes to overtake has to go around you and into the other lane. As he overtakes you can then move slightly to the right, as you are required to do.

The first words from the mouth of car drivers who collide with motorcycles is, “I just didn’t see him!” To rob the driver of this excuse, wear a reflective lime-green vest, that I call a “Gerry Jacket” during the day and at night. These jackets are worn by all road workers and police, and the mere hint of one says “Human Being!” There can be no excuse. The driver will have to look for another explanation.

Never operate your bike under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and that includes prescription drugs from your doctor or over the counter products that warn against the operation of machinery while taking the medication. A collision with an immovable object can kill you even at fairly low speeds.

Never intentionally run red lights or pass on the right. The overtake side is to the left. The Undertake (Undertaker’s) side is to the right. It’s always such a crying shame when someone young gives up his or her life too soon.

Don’t cut corners unless you can see that nothing is coming toward you.

Driving is all about the use of judgement, either good or bad. Good judgement and anticipation give a much better chance of having a long and safe road riding experience. Bad judgement is how people get killed before their time.

I conclude by relating that a young man with somebody’s daughter as a pillion passenger passed me on the right going as fast as he could, and when I blew my horn in protest he actually looked back at me, grinned and flipped me the finger. If he really wants to impress the girl all he has to do is get her home safely, every time.

Motorists! Please use extra care and caution for motorcyclists. Motorcyclists! “Be Seen to be Safe!” Wear the lime-green reflective “Gerry Jacket” by day and by night.

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

EL BOTELLÓN (II)

Some time ago I wrote about the social phenomenon sweeping the country among Spanish youths and their friends, the Bring your own Bottle party. I also wrote a follow-up column that I called “The Telephone Call in the still small hours of the Morning.” This dealt with what can go horribly wrong when your son or daughter is out all night attending one of these parties. We almost lost our son to alcohol poisoning.

A reader e-mailed to ask me whether I had actually attended one of events. The answer was no, of course not. I am the enemy; I would be about as out of place as Waldo the Circus Clown in the boardroom of Telefonica. (Maybe not!) I was aware that things really get going after midnight, and that sometimes people attend from far away. Text messages get sent as invitations, and young people are drawn like moths to a flame.

These parties are hugely popular, with both sexes well represented. When I wrote the first article there were certain things that I had taken on good faith. I had passed by the congregation in the parking lot at just after midnight, and already the crowd was quite thick. I could see the boxes with bottles of liquor and the litre bottles of mixers. Already there was some serious drinking going on, but then, I went home where I was well past my bedtime.

My reader challenged me to write the whole story. I had apparently only scratched the surface. In order to get the full picture, I had to do as he had done. I had to get out of my bed at 4am and go see for myself. In his case, he actually went looking for his daughter and was so horrified by what he saw that he felt you should know too.

I don’t think that either he or I wish to spoil the fun for young people. We simply want them to survive this period in their lives, and if your teenager is one to hang out at these parties, there is something that you can do.

I arrived at Heron City in Paterna, Valencia at 3am, and I drove my car practically right inside the party zone and parked it. I stayed put for exactly two minutes, because that’s all the time it took for a very young looking girl with a green face to come lunging toward me with a look of abject panic. She then proceeded to upchuck the contents of her stomach over the car parked next to mine. I quickly reversed to a position of relative safety farther afield. Hopefully I was now out of the barf zone.

I felt like the latecomer to the party. Everybody else had a real big head start and there was a lot of laughing, camaraderie, and slurring of words. If you have difficulty understanding the Spanish language as it is spoke normally, you haven’t lived until you’ve heard it spoken by people who are totally out of their minds with booze.

To be perfectly honest, I really don’t mind if people drink a bit too much, the sort of thing that will result in a splitting head the next day. After all, it’s not my head that will hurt. But I watched a young lad take a bottle with a little coco-cola in the bottle and add what I think was vodka, so that the liquid in the bottle was about half full. He was already well wasted, his clothes were sticking to his body with what appeared to be sweat.

He then put that bottle to his lips, and to the cheers of his friends he proceeded to knock it back in one go. That is precisely the sort of challenge that ends in the person collapsed on the ground, dead as a doornail. In Russia, every year more than 42,000 persons die from alcohol poisoning from just this sort of binge drinking.

This is what we as parents can do. We can ensure that our children respect alcohol and the deadly effects of abuse. I am convinced that most of those young people on that night were blissfully unaware of what they were doing. Of course, once the party gets going it’s all too easy to throw caution to the winds anyway, but at least if you have done the research and you have sat your young person down at home and had them understand the dangers, that’s all that you can do. The rest is up to them.

I wrote in “The telephone call in the still small hours of the morning” about how my son ended up at a bottle party, even after I had a discussion with him three days earlier about the inappropriateness of doing just that. To be fair to him he thought he was attending a party in the disco.

Once he found himself in the midst of El Bottellón he accepted the first drink that was offered and then went on to drink himself into a stupor. He was eventually transported to the emergency department of a nearby hospital where I expect the staff have a lot of experience with this sort of patient.

We made certain that he was aware of just how close he came to losing his young life to alcohol abuse. He now understands that alcohol can kill, even without getting behind the wheel of a car. So far, he has demonstrated a very healthy respect for that demon drug, and long may it last.

I now see what the reader meant for me to see. The whole story of what goes on at one of these parties is wretched excess, too graphic for me to even attempt to describe on these pages. Even if I did or could be so explicit I can’t think of a good reason to do so. There has to be some compelling reason to tell the story, other than for the sake of content. I mean, these are young people going through their own rites of passage. I have been there and done that. Yes, it was a long time ago, but I still remember the sheer lunacy of it. That I get to remember and tell the tale is more due to good luck and a very worried and active guardian angel than my own knowledge and good judgement.

I just want your son and daughter to be a survivor. Give them a chance through education. Make sure that they know what they are doing. Research Alcohol Poisoning on the internet then share your findings with them. And Good Luck!

Drink, Drugs, Drive equals Suicide!



Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

Convoluted Thinking!

Insurance for newly-qualified drivers

A certain insurance company will not insure anyone, regardless of their age, who has not held their license for less than two years. So, how does that work?

Let us say that they provide cover on the family car. An additional member of the family obtains their Spanish driving permit. It need not be an 18 year old. It could be the other mature partner, but this insurance company will not let them drive for two years. So, for two years they have not been able to put in practise what they have learned. Also, as a newly-qualified driver during this two-year period they would have had certain restrictions placed upon them, such as being limited to drive at no more than 80 kmp/h, and virtually alcohol-free.

At the end of the two-year period this insurance company actually expects to retain that same client on its books, and it will be happy to then insure the new person, who by then, without experience, can go onto the highway and drive up to 120 kmp/h, and whose blood alcohol rate could be up to 0.25 milligrams per litre of air exhaled.

The general perception is that a driver is safest as a risk when they have just recently obtained their license; are desperately concerned not to do anything to lose it; are especially concerned about their new car, and are under restrictions to help them gain in experience safely.

Insuring Jewellery

This is not strictly speaking a driving matter, but it sure is strange thinking. We held a policy of contents insurance that included certain items of jewellery that were declared at the time of applying for cover. The insurers accepted our application without asking for any further proof or description of the jewellery items. This is quite normal if the total amount that is declared is within a certain bracket, and if no one piece is valued at more than ten percent of the whole. However, much later when a thief broke into our house and stole the items of jewellery and other contents, the insurers demanded that we provided proof that such items of jewellery existed in the first place.

Such “Cowboy” insurers, who clearly didn´t know what they were doing, should have asked all the questions they needed to before taking on the risk. That´s how real insurance companies do it!

Suggestion: It might be a good idea to call your insurance agent and discuss this with them. If they are going to want proff the best time to do that is while you still have the items.

Those Slow-Down Signs

In a well-documented case, a driver was in the act of entering a major road from a minor road. He had come to a full stop at the stop sign, and when it appeared to him that the way was clear he started out to cross the road. For traffic circulating along the major road there were speed reducing signs bringing speeds down from 80 km/h to 60 km/h in view of the fact that this was a stretch of road that presented some danger.

As the driver was crossing the road along came a car that was travelling at way in excess of the 60km/h restriction, and judging by the skid marks, she was most likely travelling way in excess of the 80km/h as well. Consequently she slammed broadside into the other car. She explained her speed by saying that she was late for work. Well, now she was later.

When the police came the officer in charge took the decision that the collision was the fault of the driver who was crossing the street as he had left the stop sign. He completely ignored the evidence of the skid marks that pointed to speeding on the part of the lady motorist. The officer was Spanish, the lady driver was Spanish, and the motorist was English.

Those signs that require motorist to slow-down are there for a purpose. Consider for a moment that the vehicle that was pulling away from the stop sign was a very large truck. These vehicles move very slowly as they are put through their many gears, and especially when they are hauling very heavy loads. These are very long vehicles. I observed one such vehicle recently crossing the road from a dead stop. I counted a full nine seconds before all of him had cleared my lane. Not only did I need to reduce my speed to 60, it was necessary to reduce it further to 40km/h.

With respect to that officers reasoning, someone needs to remind him that the sign said “Stop!” It did not say, “Stay!”

More than 3,300 people lost their lives unnecessarily during 2005 on Spanish roads. Although things are getting better and the death toll is falling, it's not falling fast enough.

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

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

Copyright (c) "2007 Eugene Carmichael