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

Signaling of road works

Article 140. Signaling of road works.
Works that make impede in any way road traffic must be signed, by day and night, and marked out with bollards luminous at night, or when the meteorological or environmental conditions require it, at the cost of the contractor of the work, according to the basic regulation of the Ministry of Public Works and the Economy.
When road works are signed, the road marks will be of yellow color. Also the following vertical signals will have a yellow ground:
a) Danger warning signals P-1, P-2, P-3, P-4, P-13, P-14, P-15, P-17, P-18, P-19, P-25, P-26, P-28, P-30 and P-50.
b) Regulation signals R-5, R-102, R-103, R-104, R-105, R-106, R-107, R-200, R-201, R-202, R-203, R-204, R-205, R-300, R-301, R-302, R-303, R-304, R-305, R-306, R-500, R-501, R-502 and R-503.
c) Indication signals: all lane and direction signals.
Their meaning will be the same as those used when there are no works.
The form, color, design, symbols, meaning and dimensions of work signals are those that appear in the official Catalogue of Traffic signals. The form, symbols and nomenclature also appear in Annex I of this regulation.

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