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Daniel Major, author of Spanish foreign language books, gives his view on Spanish driving.Driving in Spain is, a lot of the time, pleasurable, smooth new roads with few fellow drivers to look out for, allowing one to take in the beautiful, changing countryside. But at other times it can also be a nerve racking experience, navigating bone shaking routes where you try not to blink in case you cause irreparable damage to body and machinery!
In recent times the Spanish have invested heavily on new toll motorways with the intention of removing traffic from the heavily congested national routes that seem to run through every town no matter where you are heading.
Unfortunately, it seems that the average Spanish motorist resents having to pay for his driving pleasures and continues to use the national routes therefore, allowing the more affluent to benefit from the faster, smoother and obviously emptier toll roads thus avoiding a lot of the Spanish drivers. 
Spanish drivers are by no means the worst in the world but they do have many habits and mannerisms that will make you both cringe and chuckle; they possess the same love of the horn embraced by so many other nations’ drivers, (the Italians spring to mind). But their use of the horn doesn’t seem to be for notifying another driver of a serious driving infringement but instead to remind people that they are sitting at a red light or that Real Madrid or Barcelona or whoever they have pledged their allegiance to, has just scored a goal!
I think most drivers would agree that round-abouts are quite simple to use, but they seem to be a complete mystery to many Spanish drivers. On many occasions, a happy-go-lucky Spaniard in the right hand lane will decide that he is turning left, often with no indication, the result of this being the screeching of quickly applied foot brakes from vehicles travelling in the left hand lane with the intention of carrying straight on.
Amazingly though, this type of manoeuvre, as mentioned earlier, is apparently deemed quite acceptable by the average Spanish motorist and the barrage of horns one would expect is never heard.
The Spanish have rather a crazy way of overtaking also, or at least the speed merchants among them do.
Many of the major roads in Spain are dual carriageways and at times you will need to overtake slower traffic. It is at this time that you are likely to encounter the presence of ‘loco’ driver.
You will go through your overtaking procedure - mirror, indicate, manoeuvre –and then, as if by magic, a quick look in your rear view mirror reveals that you have a car practically riding your bumper with its left indicator flashing like there’s no tomorrow.
My advice, pull in as soon as humanly possible and let the lunatic past! Strangely enough this is also deemed acceptable practice!!
I would say on the whole though, having driven in the UK, driving in Spain is vastly more enjoyable with far fewer vehicles and far less road rage and once you get used to the quirkiness of the Spanish driver (for want of a better description) it is a lot safer as well.
Source: Article from articlecache.com.
[Expatica 2008]
Daniel Major is an author of Spanish foreign language books and editor of www.irregularspanishverbs.com. He lives in Jalon, Alicante Province, Spain.
For the most part I agree, but "roun abouts at every intersection of every little rural town on the Costa Blanca is ridiculous, they have complicated getting around so much that some people I know don't drive to the places they have been going to for years. Roundabouts generally "suck" !!
I am in the midst of the Spanish drivers licensing process, having emigrated from a non-EU country. Even though I´ve had a license for 22 years, I must undergo all the instructions, exams, and driver´s education every beginner must do. It is an outrageous waste of time and money, but it´s the law.
Rather than touch on a couple of silly Spanish driving eccentricities, I think your site would serve readers much better by giving them nuts-and-bolts facts about what is expected of drivers in Spain, and what they might have to undergo to become legal here.
Hi Daniel
I believe that the 'round-about' protocol you refer to is that which is 'recommended' by Trafico - indeed I have heard that drivers have been 'prosecuted' for moving into the left hand lane of a dual-carriageway with the intention of taking the second (or third) right-hand exit rather than continuing in the inside lane - but indicating 'left' - around the roundabout until their right hand exit arrives
Additionally, I also understand that drivers entering the roundabout from 'your' right have the right of way! Not seen this hapen much but I ubderstand that this is 'code'. By the way is any one aware of the exiistance of a 'Spanish Highway Code' - not seen one myself perhaps Rebekah might be able to advise if she is undergoing driving instruction in Spain. Regards
Yes, there is a highway code. It is summed-up in the workbooks given to all students who must memorize every detail before taking the written examination!
Very little is said about roundabouts, only that those approaching from the left have rights-of-way, and those on the inner lane should facilitate entry of those who want to use it, too. No real explanation of how one is supposed to leave the inner lane to make his exit, though! Also, the in-the-car "practicas" part of the ordeal simply advises all students to keep to the outer lane, and not use the inner... which I think serves to only complicate things. Nobody knows what´s right, so everyone just makes it up as he goes along. ¡Que lio!
Personally after living and driving in Barcelona for 3 years, i think you've been very lucky if you think Spanish drivers are eccentric! Completely insane would be a better sentence. A large portion of them seem to have no concept of other drivers whatsoever. If you indicate to pull out or change lanes, they speed up to block you off. They undertake all the time, ride your bumper several times a day. Its general practice to run red lights, even up to 3 seconds after its changed.
Just look at the road deaths numbers they are huge!!! I don't think putting unrealistic speed restrictions helps, you have to reeducate the entire road using public!
I am told by my driving instructor that the madness is "part of the Spanish character" and the tough driving exams are just another way for bureaucrats to feel important. Once you get your Carnet you can drive any way you want.
I think the key is simply enforcing the driving laws that already exist. Our Guardia Civil out here on the meseta are much too busy pulling-over random motorists to check their IDs to bother with the homicidal maniacs blowing past them on the road. The root of all that is the clogged-up courts, which take a year or two to prosecute traffic violations...or any other crime!
Daniel, I loved your article. Until April, I had never driven abroad, but as long as you bear in mind that the Spanish treat roundabouts as a challenge and you will never, ever drive fast enough for them, driving in Spain is much preferable to driving in England.
Daniel, I too find the roundabout one of the most frustrating parts of the Spanish driving psyche to deal with. Cars hugging the outside lane to my left I would assume, in the UK at least, would take their next exit right and before the one I am on, so I tend look past this car to check if it's clear behind that driver, safe to get onto the roundabout, only to have to make a rapid change of mind as the outside lane hugger zips past the nose of my car heading for another exit somewhere on my right. I have adjusted, but still find it a challenge sometimes.
And you didn't mention the main reason all this is a guessing game! The car manufacturers could save a fortune on the cars they sell in Spain, by adding the indicators to the option list. Most drivers would not pay for them! Stand at any roundabout in Spain and watch just how many drivers know where their indicator controls are, or how to use them. I would guess that about 8 out of 10 cars would not use them when making their way at junctions. The indicators are fitted on Spanish cars, in general, to signal that they are double, or triple parked, while they go and collect a newspaper or have a coffee in a bar close by. As a northern European driver, I would say the lack of proper indication of other road user's intentions is the single biggest issue you need to come to terms with when first driving in Spain.
Whilst the Spanish rules of the road are seldom enforced, they do exist.
In a roundabout, the car in the right hand lane always has priority. Even to the extent of completing a 360 turn. Without need of any indication.
That´s not the equivalent of GB/UK ? Agreed.
But on the other hand, this isn´t ....
Stereotypes stereotypes stereotypes, you forgot to add that spanish people like to do siesta on the car while eating chocolate con churros, early in the morning, because we ve been partying all night.
Madrid is a 6.5million inhabitants city with several times more highways than the whole of England, 4 ring roads and 9 radial highways, some of them with 4 and 5 lanes. I found the way of driving here pretty similar to (proper) big places Like Paris or New York.
It's typical of people coming from the green pastures of whatever forgotten suburb to complain, maybe the problem is... should they have been allowed to drive in a big city? Same for some English people, I understand you have problems with our roundabouts, but maybe the problem is that you drive opposite to the rest of the world... I sincerely don't know why English people is allowed to drive outside England without passing a test.
And all Spain is not the same. One thing is Mad
For the most part I agree, but "roun abouts at every intersection of every little rural town on the Costa Blanca is ridiculous, they have complicated getting around so much that some people I know don't drive to the places they have been going to for years. Roundabouts generally "suck" !!
I am in the midst of the Spanish drivers licensing process, having emigrated from a non-EU country. Even though I´ve had a license for 22 years, I must undergo all the instructions, exams, and driver´s education every beginner must do. It is an outrageous waste of time and money, but it´s the law.
Rather than touch on a couple of silly Spanish driving eccentricities, I think your site would serve readers much better by giving them nuts-and-bolts facts about what is expected of drivers in Spain, and what they might have to undergo to become legal here.
Hi Daniel
I believe that the 'round-about' protocol you refer to is that which is 'recommended' by Trafico - indeed I have heard that drivers have been 'prosecuted' for moving into the left hand lane of a dual-carriageway with the intention of taking the second (or third) right-hand exit rather than continuing in the inside lane - but indicating 'left' - around the roundabout until their right hand exit arrives
Additionally, I also understand that drivers entering the roundabout from 'your' right have the right of way! Not seen this hapen much but I ubderstand that this is 'code'. By the way is any one aware of the exiistance of a 'Spanish Highway Code' - not seen one myself perhaps Rebekah might be able to advise if she is undergoing driving instruction in Spain. Regards
Yes, there is a highway code. It is summed-up in the workbooks given to all students who must memorize every detail before taking the written examination!
Very little is said about roundabouts, only that those approaching from the left have rights-of-way, and those on the inner lane should facilitate entry of those who want to use it, too. No real explanation of how one is supposed to leave the inner lane to make his exit, though! Also, the in-the-car "practicas" part of the ordeal simply advises all students to keep to the outer lane, and not use the inner... which I think serves to only complicate things. Nobody knows what´s right, so everyone just makes it up as he goes along. ¡Que lio!
Personally after living and driving in Barcelona for 3 years, i think you've been very lucky if you think Spanish drivers are eccentric! Completely insane would be a better sentence. A large portion of them seem to have no concept of other drivers whatsoever. If you indicate to pull out or change lanes, they speed up to block you off. They undertake all the time, ride your bumper several times a day. Its general practice to run red lights, even up to 3 seconds after its changed.
Just look at the road deaths numbers they are huge!!! I don't think putting unrealistic speed restrictions helps, you have to reeducate the entire road using public!
I am told by my driving instructor that the madness is "part of the Spanish character" and the tough driving exams are just another way for bureaucrats to feel important. Once you get your Carnet you can drive any way you want.
I think the key is simply enforcing the driving laws that already exist. Our Guardia Civil out here on the meseta are much too busy pulling-over random motorists to check their IDs to bother with the homicidal maniacs blowing past them on the road. The root of all that is the clogged-up courts, which take a year or two to prosecute traffic violations...or any other crime!
Daniel, I loved your article. Until April, I had never driven abroad, but as long as you bear in mind that the Spanish treat roundabouts as a challenge and you will never, ever drive fast enough for them, driving in Spain is much preferable to driving in England.
Daniel, I too find the roundabout one of the most frustrating parts of the Spanish driving psyche to deal with. Cars hugging the outside lane to my left I would assume, in the UK at least, would take their next exit right and before the one I am on, so I tend look past this car to check if it's clear behind that driver, safe to get onto the roundabout, only to have to make a rapid change of mind as the outside lane hugger zips past the nose of my car heading for another exit somewhere on my right. I have adjusted, but still find it a challenge sometimes.
And you didn't mention the main reason all this is a guessing game! The car manufacturers could save a fortune on the cars they sell in Spain, by adding the indicators to the option list. Most drivers would not pay for them! Stand at any roundabout in Spain and watch just how many drivers know where their indicator controls are, or how to use them. I would guess that about 8 out of 10 cars would not use them when making their way at junctions. The indicators are fitted on Spanish cars, in general, to signal that they are double, or triple parked, while they go and collect a newspaper or have a coffee in a bar close by. As a northern European driver, I would say the lack of proper indication of other road user's intentions is the single biggest issue you need to come to terms with when first driving in Spain.
Whilst the Spanish rules of the road are seldom enforced, they do exist.
In a roundabout, the car in the right hand lane always has priority. Even to the extent of completing a 360 turn. Without need of any indication.
That´s not the equivalent of GB/UK ? Agreed.
But on the other hand, this isn´t ....
Stereotypes stereotypes stereotypes, you forgot to add that spanish people like to do siesta on the car while eating chocolate con churros, early in the morning, because we ve been partying all night.
Madrid is a 6.5million inhabitants city with several times more highways than the whole of England, 4 ring roads and 9 radial highways, some of them with 4 and 5 lanes. I found the way of driving here pretty similar to (proper) big places Like Paris or New York.
It's typical of people coming from the green pastures of whatever forgotten suburb to complain, maybe the problem is... should they have been allowed to drive in a big city? Same for some English people, I understand you have problems with our roundabouts, but maybe the problem is that you drive opposite to the rest of the world... I sincerely don't know why English people is allowed to drive outside England without passing a test.
And all Spain is not the same. One thing is Mad
Expatica's Getting Started section will provide practical information on how you can open a bank account, exchange your driving licence, improve your Spanish, and more.
Here's a guide to an extensive list of groups and clubs in Madrid for expats, from sports groups to social and family gatherings.
A brief introduction to our Tax section for Spain, from help with inheritance tax to accounting advice.
Here's a short introduction to our Banking section for those living in Spain, from what to ask the experts to opening a Spanish bank account.
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