Be careful in any country

One of the greatest pleasures in life is to go on holiday and take long, pleasant trips on roads all over the world. If you’ve spent some vacations travelling in Europe, for example, and exceeded the speed limit, it’s very probable you received the corresponding sanction. What should we do with fines levied in other countries?

According to Spain’s Office of Consumers and Users (OCU), “a European directive has made it possible to exchange information among countries in matters of road safety. The DGT is in communication with its counterparts to send and receive traffic fines.”

As a result of this coordination among countries, there will be eight kinds of traffic violations that you will receive at home in case you have committed them outside Spain. They are the following:

1. Excess speed.
2. Not wearing a seatbelt.
3. Running a red light.
4. Driving under the effects of alcohol.
5. Driving under the effects of drugs.
6. Not wearing a helmet while riding a motorbike.
7. Driving in a forbidden lane.
8. Using a cell phone or any other communications device while driving.

The fine will be issued in the native language of the driver, and can be paid by credit card or bank transfer. In any case, and to avoid unpleasant experiences, it doesn’t matter where the highway is, whether in Spain or some other country: always drive with caution and follow the rules.