Rules for riding in Spain

[steveindenmark]

I found this interesting article which was submitted by someone who rode the Camino last year.



When cycling through the city roads may think that we are exempt from the rules of the road and we cannot be fined, but we are wrong because the bike is governed by the same rules of traffic as a motor vehicle, we may accrue the same fines that if we were in the car, although not very common fines on cyclists are starting to be levied.

These are some of the penalties that can receive if you go by bike and you skip the rules:

Skipping a traffic light 200 €
Not stopping at a stop: 120 €
Riding under the influence of alcohol: Up to 500 €
Riding no hands on the handlebars: 90 €
Riding Wheelie (manual): Up to 500 €
Riding without helmets Road 200 €, parents responsible for children under 16
Failing to wear reflective clothing and have white front and red rear light between sunset and sunrise on interurban roads or in low visibility conditions or tunnels: 60 € for the lights and € 200 for the reflective garment.
Riding on sidewalks: 60 € and if you strike a pedestrian you may be liable for compensation up to 10,000 €
Riding where or in direction prohibited: 150 €
Riding while listening to music through headphones or ear buds: € 191

And finally know that most urban parks prohibit cycling and are governed by local fines and rules, (italics added) particularly the circular paths in parks of Valencia you can receive a fine of € 3,000 to €8,000, quite cheap when compared to the Forest Act of Castilla La Mancha may levy up to 200,000 € if you disrupt (molestas) hunters on your mountain bike.

Now that you know some of the amounts that you can receive proceed with caution.

 

[Ajax Bay]

The Spanish helmet law (as amended in 2014) mandates that all cyclists under 16 years of age wear a helmet. Otherwise for those over 16 years of age are required to wear helmets with these exceptions: when riding in towns and cities; during periods of extreme heat; when riding up long steep hills; or to professional cyclists.
The law: Ley 6/2014 modificando la Ley sobre Tráfico, Circulación de Vehículos a Motor y Seguridad Vial 339/1990.

As an aside it's also considered an offence for a vehicle driver to open a car door thus obstructing an 'about to pass' cyclist. Wonder how many PNs are awarded for that?

 

[TissoT]

Also riding Three a brest ... either pay the fine or they will remove your front wheel (Majorca)

 

[MarkF]

But how many of those laws are ever implemented?

I tour in Spain most years and have never even owned a cycle helmet, in many conversations with the various police depts in Cities and in rural areas, the obvious lack of a helmet has never been mentioned. BCN, Madrid and Valencia are full of groups of organised cycle tourists clogging up pavements. The citizens also use the many wide pavements too on their own bikes and on city scheme bikes.

Outside the cities, the chances of a policeman observing a cyclist, sin helmet, con earphones, running a red light, travelling the wrong way all whilst pulling a wheelie, are just about zero.

 

[robing]

I was stopped by the Guardia Civil a couple of years ago on the motorway. And he said cycling on the motorway - 100 E fine, listening to mp3 - 100 E fine. I played the dumb foreigner and pretended I didn't speak Spanish and he let me off. It's hard not to RLJ when you are crossing through a city in Spain, you can be waiting for ages for the lights to change, often with nothing coming.