Spain's New Cycling Laws: What Every Driver on the Costa del Sol Needs to Know

"Sharing the road is one thing—doing it safely under a whole new set of rules is another."

There is no doubt that for the thousands of expat residents of the Costa del Sol and the hundreds of thousands of visitors that the area has a great deal to offer. It is however fair to say that nowhere is absolutely perfect and one of the drawbacks, especially during the summer months is the number of vehicles on the roads, many of which are not really capable of coping with the high volume of traffic. Consider that there is a significant number of commercial vehicles, including large lorries, often pulling two containers, there are passenger vehicles of local residents, a huge number of rented cars for tourists, high powered luxury cars normally with a German number plate, coaches, buses and motorbikes, not forgetting the summer exodus and return from all over Europe of those heading to North Africa. The AP7 reacts to this summer growth of traffic by putting up its prices and it is not unusual to see queues on various parts of the A7 stretching back several kilometres either due to an accident or sheer volume of traffic. Now, just to add to this, the DGT (Spain`s Dirección General de Tráfico (Directorate-General for Traffic) is adding a new dimension to the mix with a couple of new rules governing bicycles. Spain seems to love a good procession of cyclists, clad in their colourful Lycra, travelling in groups, either in a straight line or up to three abreast so that they can enjoy a friendly chat, seemingly oblivious to the traffic behind them. In theory, they are supposed to drive on the right-hand side of the road, in single file and drivers are required to leave a 1.5 metre space when overtaking them. It just about works, but the DGT in its wisdom has decided to shake things up a little, so that as well as leaving the space, drivers must also reduce their speed by at least 20 km/h below the road’s speed limit before and during the manoeuvre. Where there is more than one lane in the same direction, drivers must change lane completely when overtaking. But that´s not all, as from October 1, cyclists will be allowed to ride in the centre of the lane as the general rule, provided it is safe to do so. On roads with two or more lanes in the same direction, cyclists should normally use the right-hand lane but they may move into another lane when turning or whenever it is necessary for their safety. The intention is to encourage drivers to change lane completely when overtaking a bicycle and also for the protection of pedestrians by moving the cyclists away from the pavement. That’s all fine in theory, but considering the speed at which some drivers travel in outside lanes in many cases it will be nigh on impossible for drivers on the inside lane to pull out and will be stuck at low speed behind the cyclist. Another new rule also being introduced on October 1 means that local councils will be able to allow cyclists to ride against the normal direction of traffic on certain urban streets. The rules are fairly strict as the only roads that can be chosen to allow this special facility for cyclists are those which are deemed urban roads, have just one lane of traffic with a speed limit not exceeding 30 km/h If implemented, then the local council must ensure that the road is clearly signposted allowing cyclists to travel in both directions To try to ensure that there is as little confusion as possible, the DGT has issued advise to drivers stating that if there is enough room, drivers should move as far to the right as possible to allow the cyclist to pass safely but they should not under any circumstances mount the pavement! If there isn´t enough space then the vehicle travelling in the normal direction of the street has priority and the cyclist must wait or move aside to allow the vehicle to pass safely. Considering the number of cyclists who appear to take little notice of the rules of the road, including jumping red traffic lights and cycling on pedestrian only areas such as parts of the Paseo Maritomo that runs along the coastline, it has to be wondered how many will bother to comply with this new rule. Clearly, it is part of the expectation of the European Union that people are encouraged to move away from cars and walk, use public transport or cycle, but it is fairly obvious that most of us are wedded to our cars and just have to accept that there will be an increasing number of restrictions on drivers. Whist looking at rules of the road, the Guardia Civil has issued a statement strongly recommending that the rear seal belts in cars should be fastened even though there is no one sitting in the back. Whilst it may appear to be a strange requirement, the Guardia Civil argue that if drivers have luggage in the boot, an accident or sudden heavy braking can in some circumstances mean that the cases can shoot forward into the interior of the vehicle By keeping the seatbelts fastened, this supposedly helps maintain the stability of the backrests and may save a disastrous situation. It should be noted that whilst there is a legal obligation is for occupants to wear seat belts when traveling; keeping seat belts in the back fastened is a recommendation and is not an offence if ignored.