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Driving in Spain? Watch Out for Traffic Fines

Traffic Fines in Spain

Do you usually rent a car when you visit the Costa del Sol for your holidays? Ever wondered what happens when you commit a traffic offence whilst driving a hire car? Well, we highly recommend you read on as we’ll be outlining everything you need to know about traffic fines in Spain and how to avoid them!

Your car hire company will charge you for the traffic fine

Many tourists and holiday makers are often under the impression that they are exempt from traffic fines whilst driving in Madrid; however, according to this traffic violation attorney Fort Lauderdale, this is a big mistake. If you are in a hire car and are caught speeding or committing any other offence, the fine will be sent to the car rental company who will then pass the charge on to you. Don’t be surprised if you also find an extra charge for administrative expenses as the car rental company has to go through the process of identifying the driver and making the payment to the Traffic Department. You could be looking at an extra 20 to 30 Euros on top of the fine! (more…)

Speed Limit Goes back to 120kph

Speed limit in Spain back to 120 kph

Speed limit back to 120 kph

A couple of months ago I posted about the new speed limit which was coming into effect as from the 7th March 2011. Well, 4 months later and a whole load of dosh spent on new stickers for all motorway signs, the Spanish government has decided to reinstate the old speed limit of 120kph!

As you’ll probably remember, the reason for the original reduction was that it would save energy and money due to the high price of oil at the time. As it stands today, oil prices are pretty much the same as they were 4 months ago and whilst various drivers associations are happy that they’ll be able to shoot down the motorway at 120kph again, there are many who are up in arms about the decision; namely, environmental groups and families of car crash victims.

So what now? Well, for starters, road crews will be busy removing stickers on over 6000 road signs on the eve of July 1st! Apparently, this little exercise will cost the tax payer over 200,000 Euros… but it’s not all bad news; the estimated fuel savings during the past 4 months are estimated at approx. 450 million Euros 🙂

So if you’re planning on coming out to Spain on holiday this summer, as from Friday (1st July) you’ll be able to drive at 120 kph on all motorways; just make sure you don’t go over that speed, for the sake of other drivers and the old purse strings (the police are going to be keen to recuperate some of the “supposed” lost income in traffic fines over the past 4 months) 😉

 

 

 

New Speed Limit in Spain: 110 Kph

New speed limit in Spain

From 120 Kph to 110 kph...

As from yesterday, the 7th March 2011 (sorry for the late warning!) drivers in Spain have been forced to slow down on the roads as the Spanish Government has reduced the speed limit! This is definitely a good thing – there are way too many loonatics on the road – however, the reason for this reduction has nothing to do with road safety; it’s all about economics!

This new measure is the government’s response to rapidly rising oil prices due to the unrest in Arab countries such as Libya and is one of the principal initiatives to lower the countries energy bill. Until yesterday, the maximum speed on motorways (referred to as autopistas or autovías here) was 120 kph; this has now been lowered to 110 kph.

Road crews working for the transport ministry had a busy night on Sunday, replacing road signs all over the country. Actually, the signs haven’t been replaced, in most cases, large stickers have been placed over the existing signs. Why stickers? Because this measure is only temporary; it will remain in place until the end of June when it will be reviewed.

Also worth noting is the fact that all radar traps around the country (more than 400) have now been re-programmed. Anyone found speeding will be fined 100 Euros if caught driving at speeds of between 111 kph and 140 kph; if you are caught driving at over 140 kph the fine increases to 300 Euros. You have been warned!

Public opinion sways heavily against the measure with many saying that reducing the speed limit will only help to increase government coffers; just think of the speeding fines the Guardia Civil will be issuing. L

But there is some good news….commuters and passengers who use short distance rail services will be able to enjoy a 5% reduction in train fares; the perfect excuse to take a train from Benalmádena to Málaga and make the most of the sights and sounds of the Coast’s capital city! 🙂

What do you think? Will these measures have much of an impact on Spain’s energy bill? My experience on the motorway this morning leads me to believe that the answer to that question is a definite, NO!

Driving Whilst on Holiday on the Costa del Sol: 12 Key Tips

Stop SignIf you are planning to visit the Costa del Sol for your next holiday – or any other area of Spain – there is a good chance that you will want to hire a vehicle to give you a little more freedom and really take advantage of some of the beautiful scenery our country has to offer.

You’ve probably heard some horror stories about driving in Spain and might have been put off by it but I assure you it is not that bad! If you are careful and respect speed limits and road signs, you won’t have a problem. The following tips and guidelines will give you a brief overview of the more important points you need to be aware of when driving in Spain.

1)      First and foremost, we drive on the right in Spain!!!! Seems like a trivial point as most people are aware of this; however, you’d be amazed at how many accidents are caused by tourists who “forget” when turning out of a petrol station or similar and end up heading the wrong way – please just be careful and alert at all times, an advice from lawyers for wrecks and accidents. (more…)