Road Rules

Speed Limits	Essential equipment	Safety Belts
Drinking & driving	Mobile phones and other devices	Petrol station
Towing	Parking	Overtaking
4 wheels	2 wheels

Driving - Licenses - Parking - Your Car

If you decide to come to Ibiza by car, or think it might be a nice idea to hire a car for the day to do the island tour, there are a few things that you should know (apart from the obvious things - like driving on the 'right' side of the road and looking left at roundabouts).

Not knowing these things can be a tedious business on a hot summer afternoon when the kids thought they were off to the beach, but daddy's having a long conversation with an unfriendly green policeman in dark shades and learning about the reality of 'on the spot fines'.

These fines were originally commonplace in Ibiza , because they were the only way in which the government could raise money in an economy that was predominantly 'black' -nobody declared their true income or paid much tax. Times have changed and the computer has enabled big brother to efficiently collect taxes nowadays, but life can be hard coming up to Christmas even if you work for the Guardia Civil so consider yourselves warned.

They love paperwork here in Spain , so always carry your documents. A few pieces of paper can save you hours of misunderstanding, as you encounter the cultural curiosity otherwise known as the language barrier.

A final warning - drivers in Ibiza are not amongst the best in the world. In little more than one generation they have advanced from the horse and cart to the GTI. Meanwhile the island roads have sporadically been tarmaced, or had their potholes filled in, so young drivers of fast cars, occasionally under the influence, make driving a valuable car here a risky experience. Make sure that your pride and joy, or even the hire car, is fully insured.

Speed Limits :

Vehicle Types Motorways Highways Roads In town

(out of town)

Cars & m/cycles 120 km/h 100 km/h 90 km/h 80 km/h (unless the signs say otherwise)

Bus / Minibus 100 km/h 90 km/h 80 km/h 80 km/h (unless the signs say otherwise)

Trucks, mobile homes & cars with less than 750kg on a trailer.

90 km/h 80 km/h 70 km/h 70 km/h

Cars with more than 750kg on a trailer.

80 km/h 80 km/h 70 km/h 70 km/h

On Four Wheels

Essential equipment

New legislation introduced last year requires all cars to contain reflective safety vests which are to be worn by the driver and any passengers, in the event of breakdown or accident, who leave their vehicle outside a built up area. An 'on the spot' fine of 90 euros applies to the driver of any car without such a vest.

Similarly all vehicles have to carry two red warning triangles which should be placed 50 metres in front and behind the vehicle in the event of breakdown or accident on the open road.

Additionally, every vehicle must carry a box of spare light bulbs at all times.

Safety Belts

Safety belts are obligatory for all passengers in a vehicle. Children under three years of age, and anybody shorter than 1.5 metres, must be buckled up in the back seat of the car. The fine for this offence is 60 euros.

Accidents

Drive carefully and expect the worst whenever you encounter other traffic, for a variety of reasons including overworked taxis, inebriated tourists driving on the wrong side of the road, locals in their horse and cart around the next blind corner and the occasional pack of wild Podenco hounds.

If you are involved in an accident, the rule here is that you fill out a claim form at the scene of the accident, including sketches of the dismembered cars and the positions in which they came to rest, whilst duplicating each others car and insurance details (often in a foreign language) and seeking witnesses to prove that it wasn't your fault (often in a foreign language). Then the local police turn up and breathalyse everybody.

Don't drink and drive here - they have room in the prison to give you 6 months for a first offence.

In any event, if you are taken into custody, ask the police for a translator before making a statement and do not admit any liability for the accident, as this may jeopardize your insurance company. Otherwise try and cooperate with the police whilst making it clear that you need advice from the local Vice-Consulate in Ibiza before proceeding.

Overtaking

Overtaking is generally banned in Spain if the driver cannot see at least 200 metres of the road ahead.

Petrol stations

Most are open 24 hours during peak season and they aren't many miles distant from each other on such a small island, so finding fuel is rarely a problem.

New rules insist that in addition to turning off the engine and lights of a vehicle when refueling, it is now also necessary to turn off all electrical and electromagnetic systems, for example radios and mobile phones.

Mobile phones and other devices

Only 'hands-free' mobile phones are now permitted whilst driving. The use of all communication systems is forbidden unless they can be operated without the use of hands e.g. headsets or similar aids.

Similarly all devices that could distract the driver are forbidden. These include internet, television, video or DVD. The only screens that can be found within the driver's area of vision are those that provide a necessary function e.g. a GPS system.

The fine for an offence is 60 euros.

Drinking & driving

The law on drinking and driving in Spain has now been tightened to the extent that the legal alcohol limit is only 0.05%. For this reason drivers who intend to use their vehicles should consume no alcohol at all, or take a taxi (which is unfortunately often difficult on Ibiza at times!).

The police used to overlook many violations in the past, but due to the growing number of serious traffic accidents involving excessive alcohol consumption, or drug abuse, both the police and the courts now take a very strict line which can result in an immediate six month prison sentence for offenders.

Towing

Towing by private vehicles is illegal. If your vehicle is made immobile by virtue of an accident or breakdown you have to call for a breakdown service to send a tow truck (a Grua).

On Two Wheels

Bicycles, Mopeds or Motorbikes are possibly the perfect mode of transport on a beautiful island where it rarely rains, and with so many undriveable caminos to choose from. Naturally these are available to rent all over the island and the more reputable dealers will advise you of the rules applicable to the wheels that they rent to you.

However, if you brought your own pair of wheels, or yours is a dodgy rental, here are a few useful pointers.

Drinking & Cycling

This is now an offence subject to the same limitations as driving on four wheels. Don't do it on the highway!

Two Abreast

Overtaking is allowed as long as you check for other affected traffic. Two cyclists are allowed to ride alongside each other, as long as they keep as far to the right as possible, however, the law says that in principle they should ride behind each other (work that one out if you can?).

Crash Helmets

Cyclists must wear protective helmets (however effeminate they may make you look) unless ascending a long uphill gradient, or for other medical reasons?

The fine for an offence is 90 euros, but at the moment they are only targeting the moped drivers because the youth of the island try to impress the girlies by doing wheelies at breakneck speed without the mandatory helmet (Sounds a bit Freudian to me).

On motorways, if there are no signs to the contrary, bicycles may be ridden if there is a hard shoulder. (This is not yet relevant here, as there are no motorways, but the people that own the tarmac companies have a very aggressive marketing team, so you may soon need this information).

Reflectors

Cyclists must wear reflectors on their bodies, which could be a pain in the height of summer when cycling for a suntan becomes the vogue. And the reflector must be identifiable as different to other 'traffic hazards' from a distance of 150 metres, which is surely a challenge that the local transvestite community will rise to with impunity?

Left Turns

Not something that you may always have considered as life threatening, but nonetheless subject to rules here. In days gone by, where there was no special lane for those turning left, people on two wheels had to pull over to the right and wait for an opportunity to attempt their left turn when all other traffic had passed by. This has all changed now in that two wheelers can turn left using the outside of the main lane just like other road users.

Justice at last, or more cause for confusion?

Babies on bikes

Children over the age of 12 may accompany an adult on a motorcycle if it is licensed for two people.

Children between 7 & 12 may only be taken on a motorcycle by their legal guardian (or someone approved by their legal guardian).

Children below the age of 7 may only be taken on a bicycle when the child rides in a special bicycle seat.

Driving - Licenses - Parking - Your Car

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