Civil Guardia Traffico Policia – and Local Policia – have been active in Los Montesinos with roadside inspections for vehicle documentation in the Vega Baja town.
Thousands of vehicles pass through the hamlet, by-passing the AP7 toll charges that remain in place, in the wake of a plethora of motorway charges being dropped at the turn of the year.
The Traffico Policia have been on duty at set up check-points, stopping motorists at random, to ask for their identity and vehicle documents.
You should always carry your passport or residence permit (residencia), driving licence (Spanish, if held), vehicle registration papers (permiso de circulación) and insurance certificate. Copies are accepted.
Fines of up to €300 can be imposed, for speeding, overtaking without indicating, travelling too close to the car in front, not being in possession of your vehicle documentation papers and not wearing a seat belt.
Fines include: 6 points deduction. Drink driving (over 50mg per 100ml); refusing to take a breath test; driving at more than 150 per cent of the speed limit (e.g. over 75kph in a 50kph zone); dangerous driving.
4 points: Driving at more than 40kph over the limit (over 150 per cent of the limit, six-points); drunk driving (over 25mg per 100ml); jumping a Give Way or Stop sign, a red light; throwing rubbish out of the car; dangerous overtaking; putting a cyclist in danger, when overtaking.
3 points: Failing to maintain a safe distance behind the vehicle in front; driving between 30-40kph over the limit; driving without lights in poor visibility; using a hand held mobile phone; wearing headphones while driving; not wearing a seatbelt; helmet, motorcycle.
2 points: Stopping on a bend or in a tunnel; driving between 20-30kph over the limit.
Drivers who lose all their designated points will automatically lose their licence. To regain a licence, drivers must re-take a driving test and a driving course of 30 hours.
Fines of up to 6,000€ euros can be imposed, from having a illegal Radar inhibitor fitted to a vehicle, that blocks speed cameras registering speeds, being the maximum, with 6 points placed on your licence.
Fines can also be imposed for not wearing correct footwear – with strapless sandals and beach footwear, such as flip flops, illegal.
And it’s not just in Spain where wearing flip flops to drive is illegal. In the UK fines of up to £5,000 are in place.
Flip flops could slip off, become wedged under pedals, and prevent you from pressing the pedals to brake quickly, which could cause you to drive erratically, leading to an accident.
If you are stopped by police while driving in a potentially dangerous manner – or your footwear is the cause of an accident – you could be charged with driving without due care and attention; careless driving.
Los Montesinos, that has 5,000 inhabitants, are to put in place safety and speed cameras in the town – in a bid to catch speeding and law-breaking motorists.
