Spanish
life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.
-
Christopher Howse: A Pilgrim in Spain.
I'm short on time today, so here's something that some of you will want to skip and go straight to the cartoon . . . For those who might want a less serious, more amusing take on this subject, I offer this instead.
A DRIVING IN SPAIN
SPECIAL
A. Speed Limits
As I reported
yesterday, trying to use my satnav/GPS to keep me advised of speed
limits on the N550 between Pontevedra and Santiago was an abject
failure. The thing might be good for warning me of radar traps but is
useless for giving accurate date on the limits. Some specifics:-
Despite supposedly
having the latest data, my Garmin satnav is clearly unaware that
100kph is no longer permitted on secondary roads. I believe the limit
has been 90 for a while now, unless 100 is indicated. I know of only
one such stretch.
The max is rarely
shown, in preference for the diagonal No Limit sign. So, it's
wise to assume it's always 90. Or 80 when it rains. Which it does do
occasionally here in Galicia
My satnav and actuality
are frequently at odds with each other, especially where – I guess
– there used to be a limit of 80 and it's now 50. In the 8.3km stretch
between Estrar and Picaraña yesterday, there were at least 10
changes of limit. When it changed from 60 to 50, the satnav gave me
90. And it kept at that level when it fell further to 40.
B.
Roundabouts/Circles
Here in Spain, the law
used to be that you could only go on the inside lane of a 2-lane
roundabout if you were making a U-turn. This was, of course,
immensely stupid, as it forced 99% of drivers to funnel down into one
lane, the outside one. I've no idea why this law was promulgated –
perhaps to prevent anarchy/mayhem on roundabouts - but I can
tell you that the Tráfico Department has changed it and has tried –
through ads in the media, for example – to advise drivers that they
should choose the lane appropriate to their planned exit, as in every
other country I've driven in. So, Spain is no longer 'different'. The
Tráfico has even gone to the lengths of painting lanes and arrows on
some roundabouts, called – I think – Turborotundas.
What you need to know
is that most Spanish drivers don't seem to be aware of the change.
Worse, my daily experience shows that driving schools are still
teaching the old rule. And examiners are presumably still applying
it. What this means is that, if you're in the inside lane and going
straight on – as sometimes suggested by arrows on the road before
the roundabout – you will frequently have cars cutting
across you on your right, heading for a later exit.
MY ADVICE
A. Speed
If you drive on a
secondary road, keep an eagle eye out for the speed signs.
If you're passing
through a place where it's 50, don't assume it rises as you leave it
until you see another sign because, technically, the max stays at 50. I've
fallen foul of this trick at least twice on out-of-town stretches.
This is true even if you see a sign saying 70 as you approach each
crossroad, implying that the limit has risen to (probably) 90. Though
the risk of being done for speeding might be lower in this
case.
Be prepared for
confusion. At least here in Galicia, no one seems to have bothered to
remove the End 70/80 signs that come after stretches that are
now 50. But at least if you see one of these it's probably safe to
assume the limit is now 90.
If you're driving on a
stretch that you think – or actually is - 90 and you see a sign
saying 70 or 80, hit the brake immediately as it's quite possible
that:- 1. the 50 sign is only 20 metres after it, and 2. the radar machine is
right below the 50 sign. I've been caught in this legal but immoral
trap too.
I have in the past
suggested that you never drive more than 50 on Spain's secondary
roads but this, of course, is wrong as the limit sometimes drops to
40 or even 30. Or, in towns, 25.
So my advice would now
be:- Either
- Drive at 50 on secondary roads but keep your eyes open for sudden – and possibly illogical – reductions. Safety is not the issue. Be prepared for some very annoyed drivers behind you.
Or
- Drive on any available autovia/autopista at 90, as – certainly here in Galicia – this might be the max on curved stretches. Even on straightish stretches between here and Madrid it falls to 100. Which can easily be missed.
And don't forget the
legal max reduces by 10kph when there's rain. On the
autovias/autopistas anyway. Not sure about the secondary roads.
B. Roundabouts
- Be aware that almost anything can happen on these. Don't assume that everyone will do the logical thing.
- Above all, remember that, if you hit someone in a lane to the right of you, you are responsible, no matter how stupid the other driver was being.
- You simply MUST look in your right-hand rear mirror to see whether anyone is coming up outside you and then wait to see if they really are going straight on or going further round the roundabout. NEVER make an assumption about a driver on your right.
Left-hand rear
mirror and on your left in the UK, of course. And in Japan
and Australasia and a few other places.
A CASE IN POINT
Reader Sierra has cited
this video of a crash in the UK, highlighting the 'debate' on social
media about who was in the wrong there.
I don't know what the
law would say in the UK but I can say with great conviction
that here in Spain – no matter how stupid the driver of the VW was
– the driver of the BMW would be judged to be at fault.
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