Spanish Police Advice

The Spanish traffic police in Torrevieja have started a new facebook page in English. It gives some really good advice on things like seatbels, how to go round roundabouts, changing your driving license and so on. It is called the N332 page, the N332 being the main road that runs through Torrevieja.

It actually shows a diagram that explains how the new way to go round roundabouts is far more logical. Cars going right or straight on should be in the right hand lane. Cars going left or all the way round should be in the left hand lane. This is not yet valid on all roundabouts before you start thinking there is some logic behind it.

The link is N332 facebook page

It also gives a link to the DGT website on changing your UK (or any other non-Spanish) license. You only need to do it if you don't have an EU style license or one with an expiry date greater than 15 years (ie, UK ones valid until you're 70). The important bit is at the beginning of the DGT site on community members having to change their licenses

• This obligation is only for those who have a driving license EU with indefinite or greater force to 15 years
• Community permits are valid for driving in the whole EU

Hopefully this "straight from the horse's mouth" site will clear up a few bones of contention. Up until now the GC have been excellent on a Torrevieja U3A site and have answered questions on driving. This one pre-empts the questions.

This is a great site and thank you for posting the link

Regardless of how they advise on the rules to go around a roundabout the spanish will do whatever they want, so many near misses

Surely it's the only safe way to drive on the roundabout, but we have had so many near misses With drivers cutting across from the inside to go right,

I remember a police officer writing in one of the ex pat papers that the dangerous way was in fact the right way.

He got a barrage of complaints,, and his column disappeared from the paper.

duplicate

This message was last edited by camposol on 27/01/2015.

My Spanish girlfriend learnt to drive whilst we lived in Estepona and they taught her that when you approach a roundabout you always use the right hand lane even if you are turning left and that you should not indicate until you reach your turning. It's useful to know this so that you are not surprised when someone cuts across you from the outside lane at a roundabout without indicating, it's how they are taught to drive!!

I'm sure you're right Saggyraver, it's rather surprising, the logic certainly defeats me. 

You might have thought with the EU homogenised obsession that we should have the same shaped bananas, banning the sale of wonky carrots and olive oil served in jars at restaurants etc etc that they might have applied this to driving techniques - a bit more important too!

I'm afraid the Brits are more at fault here. If the rules in Spain say use the right hand lane around a roundabout then that is what should be done, regardless of how silly it seems. Each country has different rules and it is incumbent on us all to abide by them, not what we do in our own country. In Holland, the main road continues through a roundabout. If you are on that main road you have right of way, if you are not you give way to traffic entering the roundabout from the main road.

In the USA you can turn right at a junction with a red light if nothing is coming from the left. In Germany you must give way to traffic from the right and the Germans will rather have an accident than give up this rule.

A bit arrogant to expect everyone to drive like us because it's the British way.

Mariedav, is it not better that the safest and most logical system is used by everyone? 

On that point please can you tell me how it makes sense to be in the right hand lane when you are turning left?

I didn't say it made sense. I said it was the law of the country and we should stick to it. I think it's stupid having the left hand lane if no-one can use it. I do use it for turning left and for going all the way round but I am very wary and observant of anyone else on the roundabout because it's the way they drive.

And, anyway, according to that GC link that was referred to earlier, it should be changing. Didn't this say it was being tried out? And there's also a video from the DGT showing how to exit roundabouts which now shows cars using the left hand lane. Maybe it just takes time for these things to filter down to the population.

Leaving a Roundabout

We'll have to agree to differ - I cannot be alone in struggling to follow rules that don't make sense.  Nothing to do with arrogance or Brits being at fault.  In the Middle East they tend to drive in a straight line and ignore lane markings - I'm not going to do that either.

But it's good that the "Spanish way" is highlighted.  I've been aware of it for a while, but didn't realise they were actually taught that way.

Saggy:  Quote:-   My Spanish girlfriend learnt to drive whilst we lived in Estepona and they taught her that when you approach a roundabout you always use the right hand lane even if you are turning left and that you should not indicate until you reach your turning. It's useful to know this so that you are not surprised when someone cuts across you from the outside lane at a roundabout without indicating, it's how they are taught to drive!!

That is what s laid down in the Spanish 'Highway Code' and is the law in Spain.  As someone said , one must drive according to the rules where they are, not how they think it should be, or as it is elsewhere.  Just think of those who insist on following the rule in the country they come from,  e.g.  Brits insisting on driving on the left no matter where they are.  ‘When in Rome  ....’

Near where I live we have a roundabout which means that some traffic  cannot approach it in the nearside lane, as there are double white lines separation the two lanes.  When I need to turn right, if there is a vehicle on the nearside lane, so I cannot safely move over, I drive around the roundabout and then take the turn I need.  It’s not very practical but it is the legal way to do it and is safe.

I have approached the town hall to try and get the lane marking changed but so far no success.  I did get the markings changed on another roundabout some years ago, so I have not given up hope.

first post but browsing and saw this thread,

The Spanish highway code does NOT state you must use the right lane at all times. It states that you may enter and go around on both the right and left. The difference from Ireland / UK is that you can use BOTH lanes to go to the 4th or 5th exit. 

Still a bloody stupid system though

Karl, not wishing to be pedantic but the law is that a vehicle negotiating a roundabout, if in the lane closest to the roundabout, has no right to turn across the path of a vehicle which is to it’s right. 

Of course if no other traffic affected there is no requirement to use the right hand lane.

I am unable to post here the page from the Book Motoring in Spain by Brian Deller, which explains the 'complicated' roundabout rules.  If you really want to know, if PM with an email address and I will send it to you. Or maybe someone can tell me how to post an image here please.

When you are posting hover your mouse over the top row of icons, click on image, click on browse server, this will bring up your file manager. Then click on add file, you can now select images from your computer as normal. When you have successfully uplodaed a image you can the insert it into your post.

Johnzx, in your previous post you used the expression ‘"When in Rome  ....’ does that mean you also advocate the fraud and bureaucracy that is prevalent in Spain?  Hopefully not.  It's best not to become blinkered.

Your stance on this may well depend on your background.  If you've spent many years in the Public sector, particularly the police or armed forces you are more likely to accept instructions that others will see as daft, without question.  Other folk are more likely to be less certain.

But for me the EU are missing a useful function.  Rather than fannying around with the allowed profile of bananas, why not harmonize traffic laws throughout the EU to remove these ridiculous anomalies?

Acer, 

                   I am sure you understood I meant that when one is any country one is required to abide by the laws of that country.  That requirement does not  depend on whether you agree,  disagree, think the law is daft, want it changed , might appear blinkered to others, etc.   If one does not comply, if caught, that may result in a fine.

Incidentally, the two Guardia Civil Traffic Officers I spoke to this morning , the National Police and driving schools (this is an old chestnut so I have been asking those in a position to know for many years) all say the same as Saggy posted.  (See diagram below).

In passing:    I spoke to man this morning, resident in Spain for many years,  who has just had a 200€ fine for not changing his UK D/L , which was issuied with more than 10 years validty.  He got a 500 €  fine too for crossing a solid white line.

PS  Thanks for the info re adding an image. 

As one will see the instruction, taken from an offcial Spanish 'highway code'.   

Under the diagram says, "Se circulará por el mas próximo a la derecha."

This message was last edited by johnzx on 12/02/2015.

This message was last edited by johnzx on 12/02/2015.

This message was last edited by johnzx on 12/02/2015.

Oh I love the idea of taking a stance against the law!!!!     Then come the complaints about being unfairly treated.............

That picture sort of negates the reason for having 2 lanes, doesn't it? The roundabout by us going on to the motorway actually has markings with the right lane (right hand turn) marked Alicante and the left lane (3rd exit) as Cartagena.

Now I might not agree with some of these rules but I will follow them whilst in Spain. Like carrying my driving licence which I don't have to do in UK.   If we all did what we thought was our version of "being right" we'd end up with one half doing it one way and the other half doing it the other way (now I think of it, that's kinda what does happen).

Mariedav, it's good to have your driving licence in the UK also, getting a hire care without one is well nigh impossible.

Roly2 - there's an expression "the law is an ass" which I generally find wrong, but not always, as here.

The N332 group also puts to bed the Great FlipFlop Debate of 2014 :-)  By (obviously) confirming that the law does not mention flipflops or footwear.  As I said all along  #SmugGit