The UK press reports that motoring fines are to be increased for various traffic offences in the UK - one of the most notable being caught using a hand held mobile phone whilst driving .... which has in fact been banned since 2003 and became an endorsable offence in 2007.
But will increasing the fine from sixty to one hundred pounds have any effect on drivers?
Personally I doubt it - here in Spain the penalty for the same offence is a hefty two hundred euros!
But driving whilst talking on a mobile unfortunately seems to be the norm rather than the exception here! Stand at a busy road side and I can virtually guarantee that you will witness plenty of drivers committing this offence. On numerous occasions I have been shocked to see bus drivers talking on a mobile whilst navigating a bend carrying passengers on board.
According to the AA, middle lane hogs, tailgaters and mobile phone users were the top three most hated types of driver in the UK. I certainly don´t think that they would survive long on a Spanish road - they have to certainly rank in the top three for worse drivers of the world. Having driven in both the UK (London) and Spain I can vouch that half of those on the road here really shouldn´t be.
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| Very pretty roundabout near Terra Mitica |
I think that most ex-pats here will agree with me that roundabouts have to be the most dangerous driving manoeuvre imaginable - if at all possible, avoid roundabouts! A Spanish driver will stay in the outside lane of the roundabout and never ever indicate which exit he is taking - expecting you to be telepathic and cut right across you.... this is deemed "normal". If you are hiring a car whilst on holiday I would strongly suggest you take the extra cover which reduces your premium in the event of an accident.
When parking bumpers are used for exactly that purpose - it is like a scene from Mr Bean when he bumps back and forth until he fits into the space, which is probably only 2cm bigger than the length of the car anyway! No-one bothers to get car bumpers resprayed or fixed here for exactly this reason.
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| Prime beach parking spot - junc Avd Med & Europa |
With the influx of holiday makers over the coming months, Benidorm Town Hall are looking at the feasibility of converting empty land into temporary parking areas - which is much needed. Try and find a parking space throughout July and August in the centre of town and you will end up totally frustrated - there definitely is a shortage of spaces, particularly near to the beach. One prime spot would be at the junction of Avd Mediterraneo and Avd Europa where the derelict buildings were pulled down in 2011 and since then nothing has happened. Councillor Juan Angel Ferrer yesterday said that to ensure the smooth running of such sites two main issues would need to be addressed - 24 hour monitoring and competitive rates, which in his opinion should not exceed 1 euro per day. That would be nice if it ever materialised!
