Spain driving rule changes for UK tourists that could see Brits fined up to £2,500

Motorists planning a Spanish road trip have been warned to familiarise themselves with new driving rules to avoid hefty fines. With the UK's cold weather and snow, a trip to sunny Spain seems appealing. However, the Direccion General de Trafico (DGT) has recently announced new regulations for motorways and dual carriageways from January 2025 that could result in penalties for uninformed residents and visitors.

The DGT emphasised a crackdown on middle and fast-lane hogging, especially during adverse weather conditions. Drivers are advised to stay right, with overtaking prohibited in poor weather, to make way for snowploughs, which usually travel in the left-most lane. Additionally, from January 2025, drivers in Spain will need to understand the emergency corridor rule, designed to allow emergency vehicles to quickly navigate through heavy traffic.

If motorists find themselves in heavy traffic on dual carriageways and hear an approaching emergency vehicle, they must move to the side of the lane to create as wide a passage as possible for the vehicle. This emergency corridor procedure is already used in several mainland European countries, including Germany, Hungary, and Switzerland. UK drivers are encouraged to learn it to assist those responding to an incident, reports the Express [2].

In a surprising move, the DGT has announced that motorcyclists will soon be permitted to use the hard shoulder on dual carriageways and motorways during periods of heavy traffic. The organisation believes this decision, which allows bikers to travel at a restricted speed of 30kph (18mph), will help alleviate congestion. However, motorcyclists must still yield to vehicles using the hard shoulder for breakdowns or those already permitted to use the lane, such as bicycles, animal-drawn vehicles, and mopeds.

These significant changes are part of the DGT's efforts to enhance road safety, especially in adverse weather conditions.

The Spanish body also hopes these measures will reduce traffic jams, potentially lowering emission levels.

It remains unclear what fines drivers who violate these new rules will face, but traffic penalties in Spain are generally comparable to those in the UK.

References

^ Brit tourists threaten boycott over new Spanish law that carries 30,000 Euro fine (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
^ the Express (www.express.co.uk)