Fines in Christmas? Some tips to avoid them

These coming days are times of joy, of getting together with family and enjoying friends. But it is also a season in which we use the car a lot and we may come across an unpleasant surprise in the form of a fine. It may be because we went a little over the top at company lunches or dinners, or perhaps you are careless when doing the shopping for Christmas and Three Kings’ Day and park where you shouldn’t.

These are days of heavy traffic and extensive car use, so the Directorate-General for Traffic and the town councils set up special operations to control all that volume of traffic. To avoid getting a nasty scare during these cherished holidays, the best thing is to follow these tips and be a little more careful than usual.

Breathalyser checks are very common during these periods of large lunches and dinners. Remember that driving under the influence of alcohol is a risky activity, and the fine is only one of the consequences it can bring. Moderation is always a good ally when driving, and we advise the old saying “if you drink, don’t drive”.

Alcohol limits are very low, and exceeding them can have serious consequences, as it can even lead to prison sentences. The general limit is 0.25 mg/l of exhaled air, or 0.50 g/l of blood. This amount drops to 0.15 mg/l of exhaled air or 0.3 g/l of blood. Try not to exceed these limits, because the fines can be quite high and spoil the good atmosphere of the festivities.

To avoid another unpleasant surprise in the form of a speeding fine, it is always advisable to adapt your driving to the type of road. If you have to make a long journey, it is better to leave home in good time and avoid having to press the accelerator. Caution never hurts on these trips, as daylight fades early and you have to drive at night.

When shopping, we may have to leave the car double-parked or use areas that are not designated for parking. Remember not to leave the car in disabled parking bays, as this is not only uncivil behaviour but can result in a fine for illegal parking. It is best not to use dropped kerbs either, because although it may be a garage that is rarely used, we may find that the owner has tried to enter or leave with their vehicle and we get a fine. Or worse, the tow truck has turned up.

When using a car park that requires a ticket, it must be displayed clearly. Sometimes, in our haste, we may forget to take it out. Or we may close the door too forcefully and the ticket flies out and lands on the ground where the car park attendant does not see it. Sometimes it is better to take things more slowly, because haste can bring us surprises.

The same applies to city driving, especially if we are in a city other than our own. It is easy to miss a Stop sign that we are not expecting, or even run a red light. For these offences we can get a nasty fright and a hefty fine from urban mobility officers.

And above all, you must keep a close eye on the behaviour of pedestrians. These are times of great haste, many things to do and many places to go. So be careful to avoid a collision, whether with pedestrians or with less cautious drivers.