Spain to ramp up roadside alcohol tests in bid to protect cyclists

Tabnabs

Interesting to see another perspective on this issue and many of the same problems that we face in Ireland.

Spain’s General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has announced tougher measures to protect cyclists following three serious accidents in the last two weeks involving drunk drivers that killed three riders and left 11 others injured.

The body responsible for road safety in Spain on Tuesday unveiled a plan that will see increased roadside controls for alcohol and drugs on Saturday and Sunday mornings, the times when large numbers of cyclists are out and about.

Spain’s Interior Ministry says there will be an additional 130,000 alcohol and drug checks on drivers out at these times and that tougher sanctions will be applied to wrongdoers, among them driving bans for anybody found to be over the limit for a second time in two years. Once those bans have been served, they will have to undergo psychological and physical assessment before being allowed back on the roads.

In the last seven years, the number of accidents involving cars and bikes has doubled

“The DGT and the ministry are concerned about cyclists,” said Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido. More than 400 cyclists have died on Spain’s roads in the last decade. In the last seven years, the number of accidents involving cars and bikes has doubled on both urban and non-urban roads.

Academics and experts on road safety say that Spain’s infrastructure has failed to keep up with the growing numbers of cyclists now out and about, and that awareness campaigns are required, both for drivers and bike users: a recent survey suggests that more than a third of cyclists do not know the rules of the road.

The DGT says it will also be monitoring Spain’s roads with a special emphasis on cyclists. This will be done using helicopters and unmarked cars, while at the same time, the authority will run awareness campaigns, as well as putting together more detailed figures on accidents involving cyclists.

http://elpais.com/elpais/2017/05/17/inenglish/1495006636_222996.html#?ref=rss&format=simple&link=link

dragratchet

did a week of riding in northern spain/ catalonia and i felt far safer on the roads out there. riders respect the rules of the road and drivers respect riders. mad isnt it?

07Lapierre

I prefer "cruzcampo" over "San Miguel" .. and I've also sampled both regularly!

Daroxtar

dragratchet wrote: »

did a week of riding in northern spain/ catalonia and i felt far safer on the roads out there. riders respect the rules of the road and drivers respect riders. mad isnt it?

^^ This. I've been over to Asturias and Cantabria twice and had nothing but respect from the drivers. Not one close pass, no horn blowing and on descents they actually slowed down and kept over to let me past.

Seaswimmer

Just back from a week in Spain/Portugal and no problems with motorists out in the countryside.

Cities can be a bit hairy especially roundabouts as drivers have a habit of turning right off roundabouts without indicating and there is very little functional/commuting cycling in cities so motorists are not as used to bikes as Dublin maybe.

I find when over there I use hand signals extensively and never had an issue.

I like the way a large truck or often a car/van will often give you a courtesy beep as they come to pass you and then go way over the other side of the road to overtake.

Pinch Flat

Cycled this time last year around Nerja, mountain / narrow roads (you know, as wide as the ones we have here in rural locations that drivers claim they can't pass safely on?) as well as some busier / N roads along the coast. Absolutely no issues and felt much safer than here - drivers respect cyclists big time and vice versa. We could take a leaf from their book.

CantGetNoSleep

Meanwhile in Ireland "Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae has claimed that eating a big meal and falling asleep at the wheel is one of the overriding causes of road crashes as well as drinking small amounts of alcohol."

magicbastarder

maybe there's someone in kerry who repeats bollocks to him for fun or as an experiment, to see which of it he then goes and repeats as fact.

Rokta

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

Meanwhile in Ireland "Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae has claimed that eating a big meal and falling asleep at the wheel is one of the overriding causes of road crashes as well as drinking small amounts of alcohol."

That statement is so horrific, it could be printed on t-shirts!

gctest50

Rokta wrote: »

That statement is so horrific, it could be printed on t-shirts!

Driver fatigue is a contributory factor in as many as 1 in 5 driver deaths in Ireland


- pity he wrapped it up with additional information

Rokta

gctest50 wrote: »

Driver fatigue is a contributory factor in as many as 1 in 5 driver deaths in Ireland


- pity he wrapped it up with additional information

I am not disputing that, just the "additional information" is a bit out of line...

Kaisr Sose

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

Meanwhile in Ireland "Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae has claimed that eating a big meal and falling asleep at the wheel is one of the overriding causes of road crashes as well as drinking small amounts of alcohol."

It's a bit of a catch all statement. Ultimately there are lots of causes, but some are more likely to lead to driver impairment than others...

I doubt Healy Rae speaks for all in the constituency he was elected. Ultimately, if his views on drink driving are reflective of a widely held view there, then it's not a safe place to drive or for that matter cycle or walk on public roads.