Speeding in Spain: two facts and the new EU directive

As of May 2015, a new EU traffic directive will make sure that every EU country shares car owner information so that eight different traffic violations can be enforced.

According to EU figures, foreign drivers account for 5% of the road traffic and about 15% of the speed offences.

All of the offences enforced by this directive are considered major road safety offences:

1. Speeding;
2. Not using a seatbelt;
3. Not stopping at a red traffic light or other mandatory stop signal;
4. Drink driving;
5. Driving under the influence of drugs;
6. Not wearing a safety helmet (for motorcyclists);
7. Using a forbidden lane (such as the forbidden use of an emergency lane, a lane reserved for public transport, or a lane closed down for road works);
8. Illegally using a mobile phone, or any other communications device, while driving.

Up to this moment, car rental companies were the best way to reach a foreing driver, as countries weren't always willing to provide that information*. From next month, sharing the car holder's data will be a matter of minutes.

* Spain and France had an agreement to exchange these data, but it was a bilateral one, not affecting third countries.

Driving in Spain: Lanzarote

Lanzarote, the sunny island, received over a million brits last 2014, most of them looking for sun and beach.

Local buses (known as 'guaguas') are cheap and reach every corner of the island, though they aren't as convenient as they could.

The car is by far the best way to move around Lanzarote. Getting to lost villages in the North or changing plans in the last minute are just two of the advantages.

The car hire companies will try to make the most of every rental, and the charge around 65 euro (VAT excluded) for gas. My advice is to fill the deposit before returning the car, as they will refund the money...