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.

Wednesday 18 July 2007

Main beam headlights

Article 100. Main beam headlights.
1. All vehicles equipped with main beam lights travelling at more than 40kph, between sunset and sunrise, outside town, on insufficiently illuminated roads or at any time in tunnels, underpasses and stretches of road controlled by the signal "Tunnel" (S-5) that are poorly lit, must use main beam headlights, except when dipped beam is required, as set out in in Articles 101 and 102, in order to avoid dazzling.
Main beam may be used separately or with dipped beam.
2. The use of main beam whenever the vehicle is stopped or parked is prohibited, as is flashing the main beam or dipped beam other than set out in this regulation.
3. Insufficiently illuminated or poorly lit is understood to mean that, with normal eyesight, from any point in the road road, the license plate cannot be read at 10m or a dark colored vehicle is not distinguishable at 50m distance.
4. Dazzling other users of the road and travelling without lights in situations of poor visibility are serious offences, (LST Art 65.4.e).

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