Driving in Spain.

Contrary to what you may see on the roads in Spain, driving here is NOT:
1. Just like the UK but on the other side,
2. A free-for-all with no rules, or rules to be ignored if you're local.

The Guardia Civil and police can and do enforce traffic regulations, and can really spoil your holiday.

Inspired by Brian Deller's excellent "Motoring in Spain", this site tells you what the traffic laws are in Spain. Unlike the UK Highway Code, they are not guidelines, they are fixed... and to be obeyed.

Most Spanish road traffic law is contained in the LSV (Ley de Seguridad Vial), on which is based the RGC (Reglamentación General de Circulación) which also has the force of law. Allied to this is the RGV (Reglamentación General de Vehículos) which covers construction and use of motor vehicles.

This site is still under construction and will be quite large (over 170 articles for the RGC alone). The best place to start is the RGC index and the glossary. The RGV, and LSV will be added later when translation has been checked.

Monday, 23 July 2007

Circular vehicle traffic lights

Article 146. Circular vehicle traffic lights.
The meaning of the lights and arrows are as follows:
a) A steady red light prohibits crossing. While it remains lit, vehicles may not pass the traffic light nor if it exists, the stop line in front of it. If the traffic light is inside or on the far side of an intersection, vehicles must not enter it or if it exists, cross the stop line located before it.
b) A flashing red light, or two alternatively flashing red lights, temporarily prohibits vehicles from crossing a level crossing, a movable bridge or a ferry crossing, on the approach to a fire station exit or on the approach of aircraft at low altitude.
c) A steady yellow light means that vehicles must stop in the same conditions that if it were a steady red light unless, when it lights, the vehicle is so near that it cannot stop before the traffic light sufficiently safely.
d) A flashing yellow light or two alternatively flashing yellow lights obliges drivers to exercise extreme caution and, if applicable, to give way. In addition, they do not exempt one from the requirement of other stop signals.
e) A steady green light means that crossing with priority is allowed, except in the cases mentioned in Article 59.1.
f) A black arrow on a steady red or yellow light does not change the meaning of these lights, but it exclusively limits it to the direction indicated by the arrow.
g) A green arrow on a black ground means that the vehicles can take the direction indicated, whatever light is simultaneously lit in the same or ajoining traffic light panel. Any vehicle that, when igniting the green arrow, is in a lane reserved exclusively for the Traffic in the direction and senses indicated by the arrow or that, without being reserved, is the one that this Traffic must use, will have to advance in this direction and sense. The vehicles that advance following the indication of a green arrow must make it with precaution, leaving happen to the vehicles that circulate around the lane to which they are gotten up and not putting in danger the pedestrians who are crossing the road.

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