Thousands of holidaymakers are heading to Spain for the summer holidays and are being urged to brush up on the country's driving laws.
A new rule came into force earlier this and if broken, you could be facing a hefty fine. Most of the driving rules for Spain are the same in the UK - although in Spain they drive on the right.
You will need certain documents, equipment and to familiarise yourself with the law. This year a range of driving rules were updated in March and if you have points added to your licence, the time needed to recover the points deducted now takes two years no matter what the offence is.
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As Chronicle Live reports, you will need to take your valid driving licence with in Spain and need a a minimum of third-party cover to drive your own vehicle abroad. Both the AA and RAC encourage drivers to consider European breakdown cover as is saves a lot of money if you were to break down.
It's also important to check what you're covered for with the hire company and what's included in your basic insurance. The hire company may also ask to see your driving licence information.
What you need when driving in Spain
Documents
You will need the following documents:
- Full, valid UK driving licence
- Proof of ID (passport)
- Motor insurance certificate
- V5 registration document
- You may also need an eco permit if you are entering low-emission zones in Madrid or Barcelona – see MadridCentral and Barcelona Ring Roads Low Emission Zone for more information
Equipment
You will need the following:
- A UK sticker
- Two red warning triangles – in the event of a road accident or breakdown, you must place two red warning triangles at least 50 metres in front of and behind the vehicle
- Spare wheel – you must carry a spare wheel and the tools required to change it if one of your car’s wheels is damaged
- Reflective jackets for each occupant
- Headlamp beam deflectors
Driving rules in Spain
These are the main things to remember:
Priority on the road
- All traffic in Spain drives on the right-hand side of the road and driver's seat is on the left side.
- Drivers coming from the right have priority unless indicated by road signs. At roundabouts, traffic on the roundabout has priority
- You must only overtake on the left side of a vehicle you want to pass
Speed limits
All speed limits (and distances) in Spain are in kilometres and metres, as Spain uses the metric system.
- Motorways: 120km/h (around 73mph). All vehicles need to drive a minimum speed of 60km/h (around 37mph)
- Dual carriageways: 120km/h (around 73mph)
- Main roads: 90km/h (around 56mph). This can change depending on where you are, so check the road signs
- Built-up areas: 30km/h (around 19mph)
Children in the car
Children under the age of 12 or under 1.35m tall – need to use an approved child safety seat in the rear seat of the car. They can only travel in the front seat if the back seats are already in use by other children.
Children taller than 1.35m can use an adult seatbelt
Drink driving
Like Scotland, drink-driving laws are very strict in Spain and the police regularly carry out roadside checks.
- The legal limit is 0.5g of alcohol per litre of blood for drivers who have had their licence for two or more years
- Drivers with less than two years on their licence, the legal limit is reduced to just 0.1g of alcohol in blood.
- If caught the minimum fine is €1,000 if twice over the limit.
- You could be jailed from three to six months or a fine from six to 12 months, or community service from 31 to 90 days and, in all cases, a driving ban of from one to four years.
Headlights
Dipped headlights must be used when visibility is poor. You mustn’t use full-beam headlights in built-up areas. Headlamp beam deflectors need to be used by UK drivers to adapt to driving on the right-hand side of the road.
These stop headlights from dazzling other drivers. You may be fined up to €200 for not
The new rules
Earlier this year, the following rules were added:
- To overtake a bicycle or a moped, you must do so by completely occupying the adjacent lane on roads with two or more lanes in each direction. On single lane roads, you will have to maintain the minimum lateral separation of 1.5m
- Pedestrians now have right of way over vehicles in crosswalks, on sidewalks and in pedestrian zones
- It is prohibited to stop or park your vehicle in the bike lane or on cycle paths
Using a mobile phone while driving is now punishable with a fine of 200 euros and six points if the device is being held by the driver.
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