Beware travelling in Spain!

[Dave2000]

Too easy for Spain Clive I mean, that will not produce enough paperwork!

 

[Dave2000]

OK, here is the heads up on Sat Nav or mobile phone placement on the screen when used in Spain.

COMMON SENSE!

The law in Spain does not have a particular piece of legislation to deal with the placement of any electronic devices fitted to or near the windscreen except radar detectors, but as most sat navs have traffic camera info built in, it makes it difficult to enforce, so it is about obstruction.

For example, if you have a small object hanging from the interior mirror then no big deal, if you have the typical furry dice then yes you will get fined, If you have your sat nav/mobile phone and I quote "interfering with your field of vision" unquote, then you will be fined. This information was given by an officer of the Guardia Civil this afternoon, if you use logic and common sense they will not fine you.

The advice given by TomTom is pertinent here, lower right or left depending on the steering wheel orientation is fine.

Regards

Dave

 

[goodoldboy]

OK, here is the heads up on Sat Nav or mobile phone placement on the screen when used in Spain.

COMMON SENSE!

The law in Spain does not have a particular piece of legislation to deal with the placement of any electronic devices fitted to or near the windscreen except radar detectors, but as most sat navs have traffic camera info built in, it makes it difficult to enforce, so it is about obstruction.

For example, if you have a small object hanging from the interior mirror then no big deal, if you have the typical furry dice then yes you will get fined, If you have your sat nav/mobile phone and I quote "interfering with your field of vision" unquote, then you will be fined. This information was given by an officer of the Guardia Civil this afternoon, if you use logic and common sense they will not fine you.

The advice given by TomTom is pertinent here, lower right or left depending on the steering wheel orientation is fine.

Regards

Dave

Sound like it's up to the individual cop , a bit like your dog guard has to be "properly secured".what the hell does that mean? I have a dog guard that relies on suckers tho fix it to the roof - completely useless!.but a Guardia Civil told me it was fine! it's a bit like the law that says it's illegal to carry ANY fuel but if it's in a homologated container it's ok! another couple of things to be aware of if you travel in Spain is that anything like jerrycans , hi lift jacks , winch anchors etc. must be inside the vehicle or on the roofrack.Also if you have a rear bike carrier the bikes must not cover any part of the rear lights , reflectors or number plate .if so you need a trailer board.if the bikes or any part of the rack protrudes beyond the rear bumper you need a sighn for protruding loads that meets Spanish requirements! it's a square sighn with diagonal red/white stripes.And folk complain about EU regs!

 

[Dave2000]

I would say that most cops have a certain 'thing' that peevs them enough to dish out fines. Funny you mention fuel, today I took delivery of the two 20 litre Jerry cans for the roof rack I ordered before the trip but they did not arrive on time. They are not only date stamped but also are Homologated for use in Spain....by TUV Rhineland in Germany, the same people that run the ITV(MOT) stations in Murcia.

The rest of what you mention is spot on, but again most of that is also common sense.

regards

Dave

 

[frank rabbets]

Same as this country re carrying bikes. A trailer board is nearly always needed to comply in keeping number plates and lights clear. Then there's the question of how far something can stick out at the rear of the car without having a trailer board?

 

[Dave2000]

A friend who was stopped by police with a piece of timber sticking out the back of his trailer. was told that, any protrusion outside of the rear of a vehicle which is 60cm (about two feet) past the rear lights needs a marker board as per @goodoldboy i.e. white square with red stripes.

They escorted him to the hardware store where he purchased said square and tied it to the timber, he did not get a fine however, that was quite a few years back.

Nowadays I am not so sure he would get off so lightly.

regards

Dave

 

[goodoldboy]

A friend who was stopped by police with a piece of timber sticking out the back of his trailer. was told that, any protrusion outside of the rear of a vehicle which is 60cm (about two feet) past the rear lights needs a marker board as per @goodoldboy i.e. white square with red stripes.

They escorted him to the hardware store where he purchased said square and tied it to the timber, he did not get a fine however, that was quite a few years back.

Nowadays I am not so sure he would get off so lightly.

regards

Dave

Dave I've been told that anything sticking out further that the rear bumper or spare wheel ( on say a 95) needs the sighn.A good friend of mine said that near his place in Galicia the cops were parked near a diy place & were giving out tickets for folk who had bags of sand & cement in the boots of their cars , as a private "turismo" it is only legal for shopping & suitcase to be carried in the boot.this is why a 4x4 can be registered as a "mixto" I.E. a vehicle for carrying goods & passengers.phew!

 

[Shayne]

Interesting way to deal with the migrant problem - did the president say just make sure nobody wants to live here

 

[Dave2000]

Again I think this is down to the individual officer. The laws here in some areas seem to be pretty vague, and you do not have only the local laws to contend with but also the provincial and national legislation.

The 'mixto' rule can be applied to a lot of vehicles not just 4x4, so again another vague area. It was mentioned way back in another thread about the government being quite a way behind the rest of Europe when it comes to targeting motorists. I must agree with that statement, of late I have seen more stop checks/speed checks/alcohol checks than ever however, the problem then seems to be even the police do not always know the rules! IIRC it was last year when a client had just left Murcia airport, he was stopped a few hundred yards from the exit and asked to produce his documents. He did not have the originals but he did have signed and stamped 'notarised' copies, they have always been considered as acceptable documents. Not anymore it seems, he was fined either 100 or 150 euros I can't remember now. The point is that no longer are notarised documents considered legal (by that particular officer), and yet notaries have always been considered to be just and honest and their stamped documents to be the last word with regards to validity.

regards

Dave

 

[flint]

Still better than when El Generalisimo was about I bet. I do not have good memories of the Guardia Civil in those days.

 

[frank rabbets]

I was driving in an LR in Bristol in 1968 with a tow pole stuck up the PTO holes in the chassis in the dark. About 2 ft was sticking out. When I stopped at the Chinese takeaway a PC appeared. He had been following me on a motorbike at 40 mph in a 30 mph. I apologised and said I was VERY hungry and he just told me off. He said he almost ran in to the back of the tow pole as I stopped suddenly but said that was OKish too as he did not know the regulations if any. Good bloke and I've always put warnings on overhangs since.

 

[Dave2000]

Somewhere there is a video floating about with IIRC a Spaniard with a 4 metre length beam across his scooter, that will take some beating.

regards

Dave

 

[Dave2000]

Still better than when El Generalisimo was about I bet. I do not have good memories of the Guardia Civil in those days.

They seem to be OK nowadays although the motor bike cops can be cocky.

regards

Dave

 

[frank rabbets]

That 4 metre beam needs port and starboard lights on Dave.

 

[Dave2000]

Very good Frank.

regards

Dave

 

[Mojo]

I remember a few years back when I was cruising down the A-67 from Santander to the Picos when two motorbike cops drove past me and tried to look through my tinted windows. At the time I was driving my Hilux on Hong Kong registered plates, and had a feeling I would be seeing them again shortly. They knew where I was going...because there they were at the next roundabout..and pulled me over. After the usual pleasantry exchanges in Spanish, I was asked to do a breathalyser test, which I agreed to. Passed. Then they asked me why they had pulled me over. I looked at the Hilux and thought of hundreds of reasons. But anyway, it transpires that I had failed to have a clean number plate which was covered in thick mud (probably from Mongolia). They supplied a cloth and asked me to wipe it. Not once did they ask for any papers, passport or other ID checks and off I went. Somehow I think they have a respect for overlanders driving Toyotas, and to this day I am still baffled as to why no other arm of the law had stopped me before.

 

[goodoldboy]

Apart from all the usual cop BS , worse in the UK btw there are lots of good thing to be cheerful about motoring in Spain.My commute includes a spectacular section through a mountain gorge that's just been resurfaced with smooth grippy tarmac , not a ripple although it does suffer from fallen rocks in the winter seriously it's like something from Gran Turismo& a favourite with local boy racers.Also the fuel is cheap as is road tax & although cops are on it they are few as are speed cameras.Traffic is light in most rural areas & the scenery is spectacular!

 

[goodoldboy]

some photos of my commute .Ive just noticed the 60 KPH sighn in the first photo - i had forgotten about that , ive been past that point at well over double that speed

 

[goodoldboy]

some photos of my commute .Ive just noticed the 60 KPH sighn in the first photo - i had forgotten about that , ive been past that point at well over double that speed View attachment 108268 View attachment 108268 View attachment 108268 View attachment 108269 View attachment 108270 View attachment 108271 View attachment 108268 View attachment 108269 View attachment 108270 View attachment 108271

bugger ive made a bit of a mess of that post , ive tried to edit it but the edit screen shows only 5 photos - perhaps some kind admin could fix it ?

 

[clivehorridge]

bugger ive made a bit of a mess of that post , ive tried to edit it but the edit screen shows only 5 photos - perhaps some kind admin could fix it ?

No worries GOB, I have loads of problems with duplicates and the positioning of photos re text.

Very frustrating!

Beautiful scenery there, you're a very lucky man if that's your commute...