Immigrants to Spain should pay attention to Spanish law: The popularization of family cars in Spain has occurred over the last two or three decades. Since Spain acquired its first car in 1900, the number of vehicles has steadily increased. Currently, in a country of 40 million people, the total number of vehicles has risen from 2 million in 1964 to 18 million (80% of which are passenger cars).
With the rapid expansion in the number of vehicles, traffic accidents have increased proportionally. In 1964, there were over 60,000 traffic accidents nationwide, with relatively few fatalities. Last year, this figure rose to over 100,000 accidents, resulting in more than 4,000 deaths. Spain is one of the countries with the most severe traffic accident rates in the European Union, with accident rates double the EU average. Between 1991 and 2002, the economic losses caused by traffic accidents in Spain reached 160 billion euros, exceeding the cost of health insurance premiums.
Since the promulgation of its first traffic law in 1918, Spain has continuously revised and enacted new traffic regulations. The Spanish Constitution of 1978 includes specific clauses on traffic safety. The Spanish government successively amended and issued new traffic laws in 1989, 1995, 2001, and 2004. These regulations have imposed increasingly severe penalties on traffic offenders, especially for accidents caused by drunk driving and speeding. The Spanish government is currently considering implementing a points-based penalty system for traffic violators.
Current Spanish traffic law stipulates that drivers must maintain full control of their vehicles under all circumstances and must not cause any harm to other vehicles or pedestrians. This is the fundamental, people-oriented guiding principle for the formulation of traffic regulations.
Traffic accidents in Spain are classified into four levels: minor, serious, severe, and extremely severe. Fines are 91 euros, 92 to 301 euros, 302 to 602 euros, and over 1,500 euros, respectively. The Traffic Department under the Spanish Ministry of the Interior and some autonomous regional traffic departments are responsible for the interpretation of traffic laws and the handling of traffic accidents, with the Civil Guard police force responsible for enforcement. After a traffic accident occurs between a motor vehicle and a non-motor vehicle or pedestrian, the police determine liability, and insurance companies are responsible for economic compensation and other matters. The specific details are highly complex and can only be fully understood by professionals.
Spanish traffic law requires that all vehicles must be insured; otherwise, they cannot be driven on public roads. The annual insurance policy must be carried in the vehicle for police inspection. There are three types of insurance: basic, comprehensive, and third-party liability insurance, which vehicle owners can choose from at their discretion.
Third-party liability insurance is divided into two types: "mandatory insurance" and "voluntary insurance." For both types, insurance companies provide compensation for accidents such as vehicle theft, broken glass, fire, or explosions, regardless of where they occur. At the same time, they also provide compensation for losses caused to third parties by the insured driver. "Mandatory insurance" specifies compensation limits, namely a maximum of 335,000 euros for a single fatality and a maximum of 96,000 euros for material damage. "Voluntary insurance" serves as a supplement to "mandatory insurance," with the difference being that there is no cap on the compensation amount.
Spain's people-oriented traffic laws have fostered a habit among most drivers to respect pedestrians. Accidents involving cars hitting or killing pedestrians in Spanish urban areas are very rare. The vast majority of traffic-related casualties in Spain occur on highways. According to observations, most pedestrians in the capital, Madrid, use zebra crossings when crossing the street. Under any circumstances, cars must yield to pedestrians. While a small number of pedestrians may ignore traffic lights or fail to use zebra crossings, drivers are still required to yield to them. Spaniards are well aware that human life is the most precious thing in the world, and everyone has a responsibility to respect and protect it.
