N332 Roadwatch Issue 08

ROADWATCH Issue 08

www.n332.es 2,00€

SUMMER DRIVING

PLUS: DGT Advice - Safer Driving Mobile App – New Pickup Vehicle Rules – Hire Cars – Pets in Cars – Overtaking – Odd News and MORE...

N332 RoadWatch Welcome to the latest edition of N332 RoadWatch eMagazine.

Summer is well and truly underway now, many of the roads in coastal and mountainous regions in Spain are carrying more cars than normal, as holidaymakers travel in often unknown areas, sometimes lost, sometimes confused, and mixing with other vehicles of similar characteristics.

Special operations will be carried out by the Guardia Civil and DGT throughout the summer. Between the 17th and 23rs of July, the attention will turn to vehicle standards, ensuring the safety and maintenance of vehicles on the roads, especially older ones.

Around the weekend of the 15th of August, attention will focus on alcohol and drugs, as this coincides with an increase in the number of summer parties being held. Finally, during the week of the 21st of August, speed checks will increase.

The second major operation of the summer, Operation “1 August”, will run from Friday 28 July to Tuesday 2 August, then Operation “15 August” will run from Friday 11 to Tuesday 15 August.

The final operation, when the majority of road-based holidaymakers return inland, known as “Operation Return”, takes place from Thursday 31 August to Sunday 3 September.

As always, wherever you are and whatever you are doing, stay safe on the roads. Keep calm, allow plenty of time for your journey, maintain a safe distance and appropriate speed, never drink and drive and never use your mobile or other electronic device.

Contents Issue 8 4 Mobile App Assesses Driver Performance 5 Combatting the Sun´s Damage 6 Leave an Animal in your Vehicle – Face Prison 6 Prison for Reckless Flasher 8 Father Arrested for Leaving Baby in Car 8 On Patrol - The Odd Ones 9 Kamikaze Driver Stopped 10 More Internet Myths Explained 14 Official Advice from the DGT 16 Translation of Advice 18 New Rules for Pickup Vehicles 20 Slow Down for Horses 23 Hire Car Equipment 24 Drinking & Driving in Spain 27 Carrying Pets in Cars 28 Overtaking Multiple Vehicles 30 Introducing the Ford Police ResponderTM Hybrid Sedan 32 The Gallery 34 How to Adjust Your Seat Belt 36 Electric Bike Insurance

N332 RoadWatch is published by Mark Nolan, an independent and autonomous publicist.

ALL content is protected by international copyright laws and must not be reproduced or copied, in part or in full, without the express permission of the publisher.

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Mobile App Assesses Driver Performance

An app which records and reports on driving ability has revealed that drivers in Spain don´t perform quite as they believe.

DriveSmart, a mobile application that measures the driving style of the user and compares it with the assessment of other drivers, and, in general, despite the fact that a survey revealed that drivers in Spain believe themselves to be generally “good drivers”, after the analysis of the results, it reveals that they are… even better than they thought.

How does it work?

To run the application, you only have to activate it at the beginning of the trip, and it then automatically collects the data using the phone´s internal sensors, such as accelerometer, compass, GPS for example, without the driver having to manipulate the phone during the journey.

Before using the application, it asks the driver to create a profile and after the trip, depending on the characteristics and conditions of the road, DriveSmart evaluates the journey and shows results on how the driver performed behind the wheel and how they could it improve.

In the self-assessment, only 1 in 3 Spaniards considered themselves to be a good driver, while 12% think they are excellent.

Only 1% say they are bad drivers. 23% do not know.

Despite these modest results, the application gives these drivers an average rating of 95.99 out of 100. A benchmark that has improved from the previous year, rising from 94.6.

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Combatting the Sun´s Damage We have spoken recently about how the sun can cause damage to the vehicle´s headlights, and, how there is a sure fire way of reversing that damage, such as the thorough clean that our friends at Autos Direct in San Miguel can provide.

The headlights are an integral element of the vehicle´s installed safety devices, and so it is vital that they are kept in pristine condition, but the sun can also cause aesthetic damage which, although not directly affecting the safety of the vehicle, can make it look somewhat less than at its best.

This time, we are talking about damage caused to the paintwork. It is very common after a few years that the vehicle´s body paint becomes damaged by the sun. Patches that grow over a short period of time, usually starting at the roof, but also on other areas which are exposed more to the rays, such as the tops of doors, the boot and bonnet.

The good news is, like the headlights, there is a solution, and, one which doesn´t cost as much as you might think.

This month, we took a vehicle which had suffered severe sun damage to the roof along to Autofix, located on the Casa Grande industrial estate in Torrevieja, not far from where the Friday market is now held (there is a map on page 2).

In a matter of 24 hours, the vehicle was ready, with a new paintjob to the roof, not only looking spick and span, like a new car, but also seeing the vehicle´s value increase in doing so.

The paintwork was a perfect match for the original colour, and ready to be exposed to years more sunning, literally as good as new.

Remember, it didn´t cost anywhere near what we expected, and the team and the garage will give you a quote, without obligation, for painting your car. They also carry out servicing, repairs, diagnostics, pre-ITV, and more, and they speak English and Spanish, with all work guaranteed.

See their advert on page 2 of this edition of N332 RoadWatch and also take 10% discount with the presentation of the flyer.

5

NEWS CATCH UP Leave an Animal in your Vehicle – Face Prison

The Canine Unit of the local police in Alicante have denounced a person for allegedly committing a crime of animal abuse, by leaving a dog locked in a vehicle, in temperatures above 36 degrees, for some time.

The incident came about when concerned local residents alerted the police of the presence of the dog in a car in a car park, showing signs of distress and severe discomfort.

The police immediately attended and were concerned that the dog was on the brink of suffocation and so broke the rear window of the vehicle to gain access, successfully rescuing the dog.

The police have opened legal proceedings and filed a formal complaint against the owner who is charged with the alleged commission of a crime of animal abuse. In addition, the officers carried out a check on the vehicle and its owner and found that the car did not have a valid ITV, and so they seized the vehicle, removing it on the back of a tow truck, with the owner facing separate charges for vehicle offences.

The police extend the warning once again about leaving dogs in vehicles, as the temperature inside quickly increase and puts the animal´s life at severe risk.

Therefore, in endangering the life of an animal, the offence can carry a prison sentence, as well as hefty fines, aside from the obvious fact that the animal may well die.

If anybody witnesses an animal left in a vehicle, so not act, call the police or emergency services immediately.

In this case, the police started a campaign to find a foster family for the abandoned dog, before it is put into the care of the local animal centre.

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Prison for Reckless Flasher

A court in A Coruña has sentenced a man to prison for showing his genitals to the police whilst acting in a reckless manner and endangering public safety.

The incident occurred in 2015, but has only just been heard in court, when a police patrol observed a man showing signs of intoxication climbing onto a motorcycle. The officers reported that the man could barely keep his balance and so immediately attempted to stop the biker to ascertain if he was fit to drive.

The rider ignored the request to stop and fled away at high speed, ignoring traffic lights and speed limits whilst he attempted to escape. Another patrol joined the pursuit and, having reached speeds in excess of 100 kilometres per hour, the rider lost control and crashed his motorbike.

The officers attended the man and advised him that a breathalyser would soon arrive to check his condition, to which the man threatened the officers with violence, in front of gathering crowds.

The officers attempted to carry out the test, and although the man accepted the device in his mouth, he refused to blow. He was advised that if he continued it would be taken into account that he has refused the test, at which point he pulled down his trousers and told the officers to “blow on this”.

The matter was dealt with and reported, yet a month later, the same man was observed on his motorcycle, again in an apparent state of intoxication, and took it upon himself to insult the officers further.

For his reckless actions, the court sentenced him to 9 months in prison and a suspension of his licence for 15 months.

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Father Arrested for Leaving Baby in Car

The police in Madrid have arrested a man for apparently accidentally locking his 16-month-old baby in the car for more than 2 hours.

Officers from both the local and national police arrived at the scene having been called by witnesses who saw the baby inside the car.

The officers broke the car´s window in order to gain access and rescue the child, who had vomited and was sweating. The child was immediately taken to the hospital Niño Jesús for treatment, although in a stable condition, in a non-life-threatening condition thanks to the actions of all involved.

The officers contacted relatives of the child, who said that the man had “forgotten” to take the child to nursery.

Having been advised of the child´s location, the father attended the hospital and was promptly arrested.

On Patrol - The Odd Ones An 81-year-old driver in Surrey received an 18-moth disqualification, 150 pound fine, plus 50 pound victim surcharge after providing a breath test result of 70, the limit being 35, and in response to the caution given by officers said, “Can I just go to the off licence?”

A driver in Cumbria was reported for parking on the pavement and on zigzag markings. The driver´s response of, “My sat nav told me I had arrived at my destination” was not considered a justifiable reason.

A driver on the M11 was stopped for doing 99 miles per hour. He stated he was going to pick his mum up from the airport and he was late. Reported for excessive speed.

Diners awaiting the delivery of their Indian take away were set to be disappointed, after their delivery driver ran off when stopped by the police. The vehicle, and food, were seized.

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Kamikaze Driver Stopped

Catalan police intercepted a vehicle which was being driven in the wrong direction on the A-2 main road in the Cornellรก area.

Witnesses had reported the vehicle travelling in the wrong direction, and emitting sparks as it moved along.

The vehicle had travelled for 35 kilometres in the opposing direction, and was driving in the middle lane of three when the officers managed to stop the vehicle.

Not only had the vehicle been driving into oncoming traffic, it was also missing the tyre on the front wheel by the time the officers had stopped it.

The driver, a 38-year-old Spanish man, a resident of Sant Boi de Llobregat, was breathalysed at the scene and gave a test result of 1.01 mg / L of expired air.

More Internet Myths Explained

Over the past few weeks we have received numerous requests for information about the validity of a post which has been shared through social media.

The post claims to list some of the most popular fines which drivers face in Spain during the summer.

Whereas we understand that this sort of post is intended to act as a warning and a deterrent, we do think it is necessary to clear up any confusion that has arisen from the post, and so we asked Francisco Morales, a serving Guardia Civil traffic officer and the head of the N332 Facebook team, to explain the facts in detail.

Francisco, "First of all I would like to clarify that people don’t have to believe everything they read on Facebook, it is right that they confirm the info through reliable sources. Secondly, sometimes when you read some information, you can get angry quickly if no one explains the rules or the exceptions very well so please contact us before sharing or criticising the information.

Remember, N332 have not published this post but due to the enormous doubts that many of our followers have, we are going to clarify all the rules, point by point.

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1º- Driving in flip-flops. 80€ fine.

FALSE! Although it can be extremely dangerous to drive in footwear such as flip flops, there is no law which is specific to the type of footwear worn. However, in the event of your driving ability being affected, or in the event of a traffic offence or an accident which could be related to the footwear, then it would be taken into consideration and then you would face a fine of 80e, this is true, but just in a few cases, so it is legal as a general rule.

The DGT have issued a notice detailing this information, which you can read further on in the magazine, including a translation.

You can also read a previous article we published on the N332 website, at… http://n332.es/2015/03/02/is-it-legal-or-not-to-drive-in-flip-flops-or-high-heels/ REGLAMENTO DE CIRCULACION Artículo 3 Conductores 1. Se deberá conducir con la diligencia y precaución necesarias para evitar todo daño, propio o ajeno, cuidando de no poner en peligro, tanto al mismo conductor como a los demás ocupantes del vehículo y al resto de los usuarios de la vía. Queda terminantemente prohibido conducir de modo negligente o temerario (artículo 9.2 del texto articulado).

2. Las conductas referidas a la conducción negligente tendrán la consideración de infracciones graves 2º. Driving barefoot or without a shirt.

Barefoot - TRUE. The pedals of the vehicle cannot be used properly barefoot. 80euros fine.

Without a shirt. 80€ fine.

FALSE! You can choose whether to wear a shirt or not. Many drivers always use the swimsuit or bikini when they drive to the beach and it is legal. However, if you have an accident without a shirt, the seatbelt could burn your skin to the point of leaving a scar permanently. The shirt does not affect the way you drive, but remember you could be marked for life. It is the same that when we see riders without gloves on the motorway. It is legal but imaging what is going to happen if they fell onto the road at 100km/h at 40º degrees in the summer. Think what the first thing you do when you fall to the ground, you put your hands on the floor.

3º. Drinking water whilst driving. 100€ fine.

The first thing you have to think is; how are you going to open the bottle? You usually need both hands, right? If you have a passenger and they open the bottle for you or you have any type of bottle where you don´t need to use both hands, providing that you do it carefully, you can use it, using just one hand for a short period of time. Remember you need both hands to hold the steering wheel and use the indicators.

When someone has been fined for this, it is because they were caught driving and trying to open the bottle whilst driving, or driving with the bottle/can in one hand which it is strictly forbidden. No police will fine you for taking a sip for a few seconds. Imagine on a long journey in the summer if you would have to stop every time that the driver wanted to drink water...

Please use common sense!

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More Internet Myths Explained

4º. Putting your hand, elbow or arm out of the window. 80€ fine.

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If you put your arm or hand out of the car window whilst driving, how are you going to use the indicators? If you have your elbow on the window whilst still handling the steering wheel, although this is not best practice, it is not a problem as long as you can drive properly, indicating all manoeuvres. This fine is applied for those drivers who have had their hands or arms out of the window for several minutes of driving in that position, not for doing it for a few seconds. Remember, drivers can also use hand signals, so this can also be confusing to other drivers.

5º. Driving with a hat / cap that covers the ears.

80€ fine.

As I said, we haven´t written the original post.

Someone decided to play a joke, including many fines which don´t exist among other legal ones.

Using a cap/hat doesn´t affect the way you drive, this is one of the weirdest questions I have answered during all my years as a traffic officer. How can people believe that you can be fined for this?

6º. Eating ice cream whilst driving. 100€ fine.

Traffic Law states that you need both hands to drive so the difference with the water is that you need to occupy your hands during a long period of time, so this is true.

7º. Driving with objects on the rear tray without them being secured. 200€ fine.

We have talked a lot, about how you must secure the load inside your car, so if you want to take heavy load in the tray, unless you have separation from the occupants of the car, it is strictly forbidden. In the event of a collision, or even harsh braking, lose objects become projectiles and can be lethal.

8º. Washing your vehicle on public roads. 30 3,000€ fine.

We covered this topic quite recently. Many people are astonished about this rule, but each Town Hall has its own legislation, and most of them don't let citizens clean their vehicle on public roads.

Think that when you clean your vehicle on the road you use water and soap, and bikers, riders, elderly people can slip as a result of your actions, even if a vehicle has to brake suddenly, to avoid an accident on a slippery street, it will travel more distance so it will be more difficult to stop in time.

Apart from that, when you clean a car on a public street, you are dirtying a public road. So it is not fair to ask owners of the dog to clean up after the animals do their businesses and we clean our vehicles on the road.

Ask your Town Hall if you want to know if it is allowed or not and about how much the fine is because all is legislated differently in each town.

9º Passenger with feet on the dashboard. 100€ fine.

The fine is 80€ not 100€ and it is the driver who is the person responsible for all passengers in the vehicle, and ensuring they keep a proper position in the vehicle, so the driver will be fined in these cases.

In the event of an accident, the passenger has a significantly increased risk of suffering fatal injuries on the spot, if they have their feet on the dashboard.

10º.Throwing a cigarette out the window. 200€ fine and 4 points.

This fine could be much higher if your action causes a fire. In this case, you will be prosecuted, paying all the costs of the extinction, even going to prison if the costs are high or if anyone is unjured or killed.

11º. Not carrying your driving license. 10€ fine.

The law states you must take your licence with you, but nowadays, the traffic police take computers in their vehicles and they can check on the spot if you have a licence or not, as long as you can properly identify yourself.

In the future, it will be compulsory to take an official document with photo to prove your identity and this fine will be removed.

Remember that if you have a European Licence and you don´t show it to the officers, they can only check Spanish licences. In Spain, it is a criminal offence to not have a licence, so you can be arrested and spend the night in the cells if you cannot prove to the officers that you have a licence.

Remember, the 10€ fine is when you hold a licence but don´t take it with you, and it is only applied to Spanish licences.

12º. Carrying 6 or 7 people in the car. 80€ fine.

The fine will be 200€ or 80€, depending on the excess of occupants. The vehicle will be immobilised until another vehicle or taxi can take the rest of the passengers. The fine is for the driver.

Remember, only trust information from reputable or official sources, If you have any doubts about traffic law you can speak to the Guardia Civil officers behind the Facebook page by sending them a message, visit n332.es, or dgt.es, or consult with a solicitor or other official body.

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Translation of the Offici Translated by Andrea Lowe

As usual, coinciding with the arrival of summer, doubts are being aired about whether it is infringing traffic regulations to drive in flip flops, barefoot, eating, drinking, putting on make-up, hanging your arm out of the window, being shirtless, or having music at high volume, to give just a few examples.

It is clear, however, that each year, new allegedly prohibited behaviours at the wheel are added to the list with this speculation having become a viral phenomenon already this summer.

In order to attempt to clarify what is a genuine cause for concern with reference to road traffic regulations, the facts laid out in several articles of the General Driving Law must be considered and taken into account: Article 18.1. This is perhaps the most important point needed to clarify all of these issues. It states that "The driver of a vehicle is responsible for maintaining their personal freedom of movement, the required field of vision and to pay proper attention whilst driving, in order to ensure their own safety, the safety of other vehicle occupants and of other road users. For this reason, particular care must be taken to maintain a proper driving position and ensure that other passengers, and any objects or animals being transported are properly located so that there is no interference between the driver and any of them".

Article 17.1. Related to the previous article, it is stated that "Drivers shall at all times be in a position of full control of and have responsibility for their vehicles ".

Article 3.1. This refers more directly to the act of driving, indicating that driving "should be conducted with diligence, and precautionary measures should be taken to avoid any damage within or outside of the vehicle, taking care not to put in danger either the driver or other occupants of the vehicle or any other road users. It is strictly forbidden to drive in a negligent or reckless manner."

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ial Advice from the DGT In view of the above-mentioned articles of law, the following is concluded: 1.

The behaviours described at the beginning of this article do not in themselves constitute infraction of the rules. The regulations cannot foresee or make assumptions based on clothing, or any type of human activity while driving. Not only is impossible, is makes no sense to do so.

2.

When the behaviours described impede the freedom of movement of the driver, or their control of the vehicle, or potentially put in danger the driver or other road users, they can constitute an infringement, and result in agents of the law reporting these facts when this happens. It is important to note that the resultant complaint is not caused by eating, drinking, going barefoot, etc., but because this activity has affected the safety of driving.

3.

By applying common sense, it can be concluded that some assumptions are absurd. For example, if someone is driving without a t-shirt and has to stop abruptly, the belt will produce wounds on the skin. Or someone driving barefoot could have serious difficulties in activating the pedals of the vehicle. With regard to resting an elbow out of the window, it is impossible to determine whether the infringement occurs when it is two centimetres out, or ten...these are just a few examples of behaviours that it seems useful to expand upon Along with all the behaviours listed in the news articles that have been transmitted by means of the media or by social networks, other behaviours appear that do constitute infringement of traffic rules and regulations as expressly defined by law: ■ Driving using any type of audio headset or headset connected to a receivers, audio players or other devices that reduces attention to driving – such as internet devices or television monitors, ■ Not driving in the right lane of a multi-lane road, without a justified reason.

■ Throwing in the road or in its immediate vicinity any objects that may cause fires, road accidents or hinder the free movement of traffic.

■ Not carrying the documentation for the driver or vehicle.

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New Rules for Pickup Vehicles Owners of pickup vehicles may need to be aware that new rules came into force in Spain in July.

In particular, the pickup with a maximum mass not more than 3.500 kg and whose seating position and loading area are not located in a single compartment and whose total height does not exceed 2M, shall be governed by the same rules of movement as passenger vehicles.

The full text of the regulation change details how within the dynamism and evolution of the automobile market, new bodies and configurations have emerged that adapt vehicles to specific demands.

Amongst these new bodies, introduced some time ago in the market, was the configuration known commonly as a pickup. Pickup vehicles are characterised, in the main, as being a vehicle that has an area on its body where merchandise can be carried, normally in an open top area.

Due to this particularity, and in the absence of a proper classification for this type of vehicle within the definitions of the Reglamento General de VehĂ­culos (General Regulations of Vehicles), pickup vehicles have been classified up to now as a type of commercial vehicle.

In this respect, the definition of a truck in the Reglamento General de VehĂ­culos indicates that it is a vehicle with four wheels or more, designed and constructed for the carriage of goods, the cab is not integrated in the rest of the bodywork and with a maximum of 9 seats, including the driver.

Now, within the definition of the vehicle as a pickup, it is defined in the scope of the directive as: A vehicle whose maximum mass is not more than 3,500 kg, where the seating positions and the loading area are not located in a single compartment. From a technical point of view, the configuration, use and performance of a pickup vehicle are within the realm of those of a passenger vehicle and not those of a commercial vehicle. This circumstance brings with it certain dysfunctions derived from the direct application to vehicle types and the rules of circulation of commercial vehicles.

Therefore, from July 7, pickup vehicles with a maximum mass not exceeding 3,500 kg, where the seating positions and the loading area are not located in a single compartment and whose total height is not more than 2 metres, will be governed by the same rules of circulation applied to passenger vehicles.

To facilitate their identification and control, a specific field will be enabled in the Vehicle Register for pickup vehicles. The above does not affect in any case any other obligations (fiscal, periodicity of ITVs, etc), that can be derived from its formal classification as a commercial vehicle by criteria of construction in the Vehicle Registry.

18

This document can be downloaded on the website, n332.es

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Slow Down for Ho

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rses A lot of focus is put on more vulnerable road users, and for all the right reasons, on account of the very fact that pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists usually come of worse in a crash, but there are other road users who could pose a hidden problem, especially as they might not be used to seeing other forms of transport. We are talking about horses.

In recent weeks there has been at least two incidents recorded involving horses, both of which have resulted in fatalities.

In many rural and agriculturally rich areas, horses are still part of the day-to-day lives of the many people who work these areas, and in towns and cities we see an increase during fiestas.

Although they may be considered something on an antiquated form of transport, horses have made a return to many streets of Spain carrying out transport duties on a regular basis on account of both their cost saving abilities and environmental benefits.

Horse-drawn carriages are often common in tourist locations and city centres, but it was only recently that Barcelona city council granted a license for a funeral director to carry out the last journey to the cemetery by horse-drawn hearse.

In July, 2014, the Alicante town of Monforte del Cid became the first local council to introduce the horse and cart as part of its household waste collection service, reducing the bill of 400,000 euro by half to just 200,000 euro.

The police and Guardia Civil in Spain both have mounted sections, apart from dealing with crowd control, police horses are a common sight in the capital as horseback patrols take to the streets on a regular basis, whereas the Guardia Civil often use their four-legged assistants to reach more rural areas than foot or motor power can reach. Horses are also showcased in a ceremonial manner too, a popular spectacle for many to observe.

When it comes to dealing with horses, the advice for motorists is, perhaps as always, expect the unexpected. Slow down and be ready to stop if necessary whilst keeping a sharp eye out for signals given by the rider asking vehicles to slow down or stop.

You should watch out for sudden movements as horses can be easily frightened and unpredictable. Keep the noise down to a minimum so as not to startle the horse, so avoid sounding your horn, revving the engine, and even keeping music at a low volume level.

Take extra care on bends, narrow roads or brows of hills, always keep well back and give the horse plenty of room, and if you do get an opportunity to overtake in a safe position, pass wide, slow and quietly, avoiding any sudden moves, giving the horse plenty of room. Once you are clear, you can then accelerate, but do so gently, never speed away, do everything slowly and calmly.

Article 17 or the Reglamento General de Circulaciรณn, deals with the control of vehicles or animals, and states that drivers must at all times be able to control their vehicles or animals, and when approaching other road users, they must take the necessary precautions for their safety, especially when it comes to children, the elderly, blind or other persons clearly impaired.

21

Hire Car Equipment "When hiring a car, for example at an airport, who has the responsibility to ensure that the warning triangles and high visibility vests are in the car as required by Spanish law?"

It is the responsibility of the hire company, to check that the logbook and the vehicle´s equipment is ok before renting the car to a client.So if you are stopped by the Guardia Civil, the owner will be responsible for an improperly equipped vehicle you have hired, unless the hire company can prove they gave you the car with all those things.The fines related to insurance /ITV/ vehicle´s equipment / Logbook, are always for the owner who is responsible of his car.

23

Drinking & Driving in Spain “Maximum alcohol limits�

The legal alcohol limit is in general 0.25 mg/l (it is much lower at 0.15 mg/l if you are a novice or professional driver). If the amount of alcohol exceeds this limit, the driver will be heavily fined and lose several points.

In the event such amount of the breathalyser exceeds 0.60 mg/l, the driver becomes subject to a criminal proceeding and will be arrested.

A blood test is only available after the breath test and you disagree with the result.

Refusal to co-operate is also considered a criminal offence.

Currently, the DGT is investigating the option of reducing the limit even further, hoping to implement a limit of ZERO, at least for novice or professional drivers, however, all road safety supporters agree that the only safe limit for all is zero.

REMEMBER - These limits apply to all road users, which includes cyclists.

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This is only a guide. The only safe level is ZERO.

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Carrying Pets in Cars "What is the fine for carrying an unrestrained pet in your vehicle if stopped by the police?"

REGLAMENTO GENERAL DE CIRCULACIÓN. Artículo 18 Otras obligaciones del conductor 1. El conductor de un vehículo está obligado a mantener su propia libertad de movimientos, el campo necesario de visión y la atención permanente a la conducción, que garanticen su propia seguridad, la del resto de los ocupantes del vehículo y la de los demás usuarios de la vía. A estos efectos, deberá cuidar especialmente de mantener la posición adecuada y que la mantengan el resto de los pasajeros, y la adecuada colocación de los objetos o animales transportados para que no haya interferencia entre el conductor y cualquiera de ellos.

The fine = 80 euro.

This is the article we apply in these cases, the pet cannot be loose in the car for security reasons.

Overtaking Multiple Vehicles Staying safe on the road should be paramount for every driver. Overtaking is one of the leading causes of collisions and there’s a lot to think about.

This seemingly simple manoeuvre accounts for a high rate of fatalities, second only to driver fatigue, and if poorly executed can quickly turn a few seconds on the wrong side of the road into a nightmare.

Often the problem is a lack of familiarity with either the geography and/or the ability of the car under conditions we as drivers are not accustom to. All year there’s usually you – the driver – and little else in the car, but on holidays with a car full of kids, clothes, kit and caboodle, the driving dynamics of your car are changed dramatically.

1- Is it illegal to overtake 2 cars at the same time on a single lane road?

2- Can the last vehicle in the picture (the green Volvo) overtake all the vehicles in front of it?

1- If you have looked far enough in the distance and are sure there are no cars oncoming that you are going to conflict with, no hidden dips where oncoming cars might be and no offside lay-bys or junctions on either side….you are confident of the performance of your vehicle….you have been watching the drivers in front and are aware of their vehicles and their potential intentions….and you also have somewhere to go if it starts to look ‘close – exit strategy’….then……….. overtake.

If the cars are spaced out enough for you to overtake one and have enough space (if needed) to move back (without causing the driver you’ve overtaken to brake)..treat each car as an overtake… .ie: if there are 7 cars it’s seven overtakes….

However, if the cars are bunched up together with no room to get back in….you have to treat the 7 cars as one overtake. Imagine it as a huge long goods vehicle. So if you don’t have enough power in your car and road ahead to pass all of them safely in one go…then don’t do it..

2- Regarding the Volvo, although there is a broken line there are two lorries which hide the oncoming traffic from the curve a few meters ahead. So it is not advisable to do it until you have a better visibility.

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It is in a good location, only a short distance to the shops and supermarkets, this property is a real bargain and an excellant find.

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Introducing the Ford Police ResponderTM Hybrid Sedan We hope to satisfy the petrolheads amongst us with the introduction of their new hybrid “Ford Police Responder”, and although we are not likely to see it on the streets any time soon, if ever in Europe, she certainly is both beauty and a beast!

Destined to Be the First Pursuit-Rated Hybrid Ideal for local patrol use, the Ford Police ResponderTM Hybrid Sedan provides a capable option that delivers multiple potential benefits. These include potential fuel savings and reduced CO2 emissions,2 as well as potentially fewer fill-ups – resulting in less vehicle downtime to keep your vehicles and officers on the road.

Responsive to Your Budget Purpose-built for the police duty cycle, the Police Responder Hybrid Sedan’s hybrid powertrain can offer significant potential fuel savings compared to traditional police cruisers. Its lithium-ion hybrid battery can also provide added benefits when considering the unique idling demands of day-to-day police use. See just how these potential savings can benefit your community by using this convenient calculator.

Ready to Take On Your Beat It’s optimized for local patrol and response. Compared to traditional police cruisers, the Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan gives the long arm of the law a potentially small carbon footprint… thanks to potentially reduced CO2 emissions.2 It’s also purpose-built to meet the unique demands of police operations.

Law Enforcement DNA Tough. Capable. Purpose-built and upfit-ready. With on-the-job learning gained from the dutytested Police Interceptor,® our years of experience in the field have taught us the unique durability and reliability requirements that police use demands. But that’s nothing new. Ford has been trusted by American law enforcement since 1950.

Dressed for Duty Heavy-duty suspension components. Rugged cloth front seats with slim bolsters, designed to assist officers wearing a duty belt. Tough anti-stab plates in the front seat backs. And easyto-clean heavy-duty vinyl rear seats and floor. Police Responder Hybrid Sedan is intuitively designed with the standard equipment that police use demands.

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Earns Its Efficiency Badge The Police Responder Hybrid Sedan combines a 2.0L I-4 Atkinson-cycle engine, an 88-kW electric A/C motor and a 1.4-kW lithium-ion battery to have a projected EPA-estimated rating of 38 combined mpg1 (compared to an EPA-estimated rating of 18 combined mpg3 for Police InterceptorÂŽ Sedan).

For more details, visit www.ford.com/fordpoliceresponder/

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If you snap an interesting road or traffic based picture, email it to news@n332.es to be featured or use the hashtag #n332es

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Police in Elche found 14 people in the back of this van.

Only the van got a lift - to the pound!

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How to Adjust Your Seat Belt The wearing of seat belts can reduce the risk of injury during a car crash. When used properly, they provide drivers and passengers of motorized vehicles with increased protection. However, when used improperly, their ability to provide this safety is compromised.

Proper seat belt adjustments are necessary to allow the restraints to work effectively.

Wear a diagonal belt across the upper chest.

Drivers often complain that this strap is uncomfortable, and they sometimes slip this behind their backs. However, when you do this, the belt's ability to protect you from injury is decreased. Seat belts are designed to distribute force upon two areas of the body. Without this diagonal strap in place, this is impossible. If the strap is uncomfortable for you or your children, purchase a padded seat belt cover.

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Electric Bike Insurance Do I have to insure my electric bicycle?

NO, your bicycle does not have to be insured, it is only an OPTION. Please read the following article we think it is quite interesting: Why Bicycle Insurance is important.

Many people assume that their bike is covered on their home contents insurance policy. Some home insurers include cycle cover as standard, but the bike will often only be insured if it is inside the property or secured in an outbuilding. In other words, if your bike is stolen from the back garden, your insurer will not pay out.

You would also be unable to claim on your standard contents policy if the theft took place outside the railway station or the local supermarket.

You can often extend your home insurance to cover your bike when it is outside the house.

Alternatively, a number of firms offer specialist bicycle insurance to cater for the growing number of cycle enthusiasts. The policy wordings vary, but most cover your bike against theft, whether inside or outside the home. You should not, however, be careless with your bicycle. If your bike is not secured with an approved lock, the insurer could reject the claim.

Bicycle insurance does not only cover theft, but should also pay out for accidental damage or vandalism. Check too whether the policy includes third party liability cover, in case you injure another person or damage their car or bicycle. The number of cyclists on the roads these days means that accidents are more common place, so it's wise to take out suitable insurance.

If you are worried that you might be stranded on a country road if your bike gets a puncture or the wheel falls off, you might want to consider cycle breakdown cover. It works in much the same way as car breakdown cover and is a popular add-on to a bicycle insurance policy.

It doesn't matter whether you are a casual cyclist with your trusty two wheels or a hard core enthusiast with a custom made trial bike, cycle insurance can be tailor made to meet your needs.

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+34 69 44 65 821