IMPORTATION AND LEGALITY OF BRITISH CARS IN SPAIN

This week I was going to go into the legality of English registered cars in Spain and the importation procedures, but, as of the 15th the taxation system has changed, Again!! Details are a bit sketchy so as soon as I get the full story I’ll let you know. So until then let take time out sit down and relax and what can be more relaxing than sitting outside your local watching the sun go down over an ice cold beer. Here’s a few things to remember before you set off out for that drink.
It takes your undivided attention and fast reactions to drive safely, these senses are slowed down by just one beer. The alcohol limits in Spain are about half those in the UK and Ireland, and currently, the authorities are campaigning to reduce the number of accidents in Spain, which in 2001 was the third worst in the EU. Since then, they have improved slightly due to campaigns, but still are not as low as Spanish government wants them. Consequently, there is zero tolerance being shown to anyone driving under the influence, and any penalties given will apply in the driver’s home EU country. Remember if stopped and found positive, you will not be allowed to drive away, and the fines are high as well as confiscation of licence for a minimum of three months, plus penalty points being awarded to your driving licence. All Spanish residents will have to attend a school before the return of their licence.
It’s a well-known fact that when it comes to alcohol, everyone has their own particular level of tolerance, although – given their smaller frame and slower metabolic rate – women often come off worse. You don’t need to have been drinking all night to trigger a positive response if you’re breathalysed. Share bottle of wine with your evening meal, followed by “one for the road” and you could easily find yourself over the limit the following morning. In fact, if you’re driving home at 3am on a Sunday morning, even if you have not committed any offence, it’s more likely than not that the M.I.G (men in green) will pull you over as a matter of course and ask you to take a breath test. If it proves positive, retribution is certain! The penalties are very high.
The introduction of the new “rapid justice” Courts, and can include losing your licence on the spot, or heavy on-the-spot fines for other traffic offences. You will not be allowed to leave the area until you have paid any fine or appeared in Court, including spending time in the cells if you cannot pay in cash. So if you are the designated driver, stick to soft drinks.
Any driver found in charge of any vehicle with levels of alcohol exceeding 0.25 Mg/l (milligrams per litre of air) or 0.5 g/l (grammes per litre of blood by sample) will be instantly disqualified. All transport vehicle drivers have a limit of 0.15mg/l or 0.3g/l, this limit applies to all new drivers who have had a license for less than two years.
So who enforces these laws? We have three types of police in Spain, they are the Municipal Police (policía municipal) the M.I.G or Civil Guard (Guardia Civil de Tráfico) and the National Police (La Policia)
The Municipal Police (commonly known as the policía local) wear blue and white uniforms and carry small side arms. They are responsible to the mayor and town hall in each municipality, and their duties include blowing whistles and waving their arms about a lot, controlling local traffic, school crossings and parking violations.
My favourites, The M.I.G. or the Guardia Civil are responsible for national security, customs and crowd control. They too blow whistles, but if they are directed at you, then you should stop immediately. You will usually see them on the motorway in either cars or on motorcycles and in the air in helicopters. They are responsible for all traffic violations, speed checks, and attend the scene of accidents. Motorcycle police usually patrol in pairs, at least one of them is normally a trained mechanic and the other trained in first-aid. Intimidating they may be but they will stop and help anyone in trouble. They often set up check-points and stop motorists at random to ask for their identity and vehicle documents (and also to look for drugs or terrorists). They too carry side arms.
The National Police wear either a black uniform and a white shirt or a blue military style uniform. Their duties include guarding public buildings, the Royal Family and Government figures. If you are a victim of street crime these are the police that will deal with your case. These guys carry machine guns!
So think on, we all like to have a few “sangrias” at the end of the day, but do you really want to pay the consequences? The “crisis” has hit us all, and in the eyes of the Government an easy way to recover some income is to issue more fines, you may have noticed the increased amount of check points. If you’re fined, you receive a “boletín de denuncia” specifying the offence and the amount to pay (check that it’s the same as the amount demanded). Unless required to pay on the spot (fairly rare theses days), you can pay a fine at any post office or some banks. Always ensure that you receive a receipt of payment.
If you have any questions please send them to me at thecarclinic@hotmail.com until next week have you ever wondered why lemon juice contains mostly artificial ingredients but dishwashing liquid contains real lemons?
Happy motoring
Tony Banham

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