Helmet law in Spain

[GrumpyGregry]

Wow! I cycle 2 or 3 times a year in Catalonia, usually from Sitges to Girona via BCN and I've rarely seen a cyclist wearing a helmet unless he's a club/road rider.

I've never owned a helmet but have ridden all over Spain top to bottom, east to west. It's a daft and convoluted law, I like to push my luck by asking the Guardia Civil for directions, I've never once been asked about my lack of a helmet. Does it matter, really? You'd have to come across a real pernickety policeman to have any issue.

We were up in Penedés, inland from Sitges, near Vilafranca; didn't see any cyclists other than road riders and mtb-ers.

 

[jay clock]

I solved the problem in my various Spanish tours by wearing a helmet. My touring partner with whom I have done three 1 week tours had his strapped on the back and never had any issue

 

[slowmotion]

I wouldn't be trusting Spanish Police to be overly friendly, so a helmet might help when they whack you over the head !

I was fined by the Madrid police in 1976. I sat on the grass in a park.

Utter daffodils.

 

[steveindenmark]

Baseball Cap it is then.

 

[smith4188]

I've cycled all around Spain (except the east and north coasts) without a helmet and never had a problem, like MarkF sometimes asking police for directions. The only place I've heard of fines is around Valencia (and now Benidorm, which is nearby).

 

[Noelinspain]

I live on the Costa del Sol and regularly cycle along to coast from Torre del Mar towards Malaga on Sunday mornings. The route is very popular with "enthusiasts" and club cyclists, on their road bikes, and leisure cyclists (like myself), on hybrid or mountain bikes. I don't believe I've spotted any enthusiast not wearing a helmet, and I guess that the few leisure cyclists who risk their lives without one are either occasional users or are on hired bikes. It amazes me that some people seem to think that, because they are on a track where they are not mixing with vehicular traffic, it is safe to ride without head protection. I once fell off my bike on such a path and, had it not been for my helmet, could have suffered a serious head injury.

 

[Dave Davenport]

It amazes me that some people seem to think that, because they are on a track where they are not mixing with vehicular traffic, it is safe to ride without head protection. I once fell off my bike on such a path and, had it not been for my helmet, could have suffered a serious head injury.

 

[ianrauk]

We have numerous threads devoted to this sort of stuff already

A penny for ya!

 

[robing]

I got nabbed by the Guardia Civil for cycling on an autopista and for wearing headphones. Luckily I was let off a fine, maybe it's because I was wearing a helmet.

 

[irw]

I've cycled all around Spain (except the east and north coasts) without a helmet and never had a problem, like MarkF sometimes asking police for directions. The only place I've heard of fines is around Valencia (and now Benidorm, which is nearby).

Sounds like you've cycled half-way around Spain to me...

 

[andym]

Sounds like you've cycled half-way around Spain to me...

Don't forget there's Portugal - so there's not much of a west coast - so maybe three-quarters?

 

[dellzeqq]

we went from Irun to Gerona a couple of weeks ago. We were stopped by the Guardia Civil after making a rubbish left turn. Our helmets were strapped to the handlebars. They ignored that, patiently explained the rule on left turns to us, and waved us on our way with a smile.

 

[StuartG]

They ignored that, patiently explained the rule on left turns to us, and waved us on our way with a smile.

What is the Iberic take on left turns?

 

[smith4188]

Sounds like you've cycled half-way around Spain to me...

There's a lot more to Spain that the coasts. But you're right - maybe 'all over Spain' would have been more accurate. ;-)