The "strange" Spanish traffic fines that British tourists should watch out for

Spain is at the gates of a historic summer in terms of tourism, in which it could receive around 50 million tourists from June to September between national and foreign travelers, which would mean 2% more than in the same period last year.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
18 June 2023 Sunday 17:16
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The "strange" Spanish traffic fines that British tourists should watch out for

Spain is at the gates of a historic summer in terms of tourism, in which it could receive around 50 million tourists from June to September between national and foreign travelers, which would mean 2% more than in the same period last year. , according to calculations of the study presented by the union Comisiones Obreras.

During those days, tourists (many of them British) who visit us and drive on our roads must comply with current traffic regulations. The Sun newspaper has compiled some of the "strangest" traffic regulations in our country. The objective is to alert them to prevent them from committing these infractions, which carry a fine.

The sanctions in question are linked to the hot season. For example, they refer to driving with flip flops, without a shirt or eating.

The Sun article also warns of other fines not related to driving. Thus, remember that smoking is prohibited on some beaches in our country, such as in Barcelona or some sandy areas in Mallorca.

Along these lines, this medium warns that in some cities, such as the Catalan capital, it is not allowed to walk in a bikini or swimsuit off the beach. You cannot walk around the center of Barcelona like this, because there will also be a fine, up to 260 pounds sterling in this case. Something higher in Majorca.

In the Balearic Islands, it continues, balconing is prohibited, a practice that consists of jumping between the balconies of a hotel or from high places towards the pool, an extremely dangerous practice that can endanger the lives of these tourists.

Some of these issues are controversial, because they are not specifically included in the General Traffic Regulations (RGC), but they can be penalized if the agent considers that they affect road safety.

In the case of flip-flops, there is no rule that indicates what type of footwear is prohibited for driving, but article 17.1 of the General Traffic Regulations (RGC) establishes that drivers must be in a position to control their vehicle at all times. For this reason, if an agent of the authority considers that wearing flip-flops prevents safe handling of the pedals and reduces the ability to react, they can penalize the driver with a fine of up to 80 euros.

Nor is it specifically prohibited to eat or drink while driving, so for this reason we cannot be fined, but instead they can if the competent authority considers that this action poses a risk to the driver and other road users.

Eating or drinking while driving implies having at least one hand occupied, which an agent may interpret as definitively a behavior that risks road safety.