I saw this on another forum, and thought it interesting......
his might help understanding a bit, so just to repeat, once again
The law in Spain is perfectly clear on this point.*
Towing a vehicle with another vehicle is specifically forbidden by national law here.*
It is "Ley Nacional".........that means it applies right across the country, and is not amendable by any of the semi autonomous regions.*
There are no ifs, no buts; the law here is not muddy or unclear.*
The law says that you CANNOT tow any vehicle with another vehicle on any Spanish road.*
(I heard that exactly the same restriction applies in Portugal too - but I DO NOT have first hand knowledge of the law there, so this could be simply hearsay)*
Now, that said, you have to understand a bit about the Spanish peoples (and Police) approach to obeying/enforcing laws.*
There are lots of laws here in Spain which were/are observed more in the breach than obedience.*
The Spanish do not tow any vehicle with another (eg in the case of breakdown) because this no-tow law has been in place for decades....and every vehicle insurance contract here always automatically includes provision for a "grua" (one of those flat-bed breakdown recovery vehicles) service if you break down anywhere in the country.*
So far as I'm aware utterly no-one in Spain sells/fits "A-frames" at all, on the basis that there's absolutely no market for them here, as using them would be illegal.*
What the Spanish motor homers do if they have a car with their MH, is carry the car on a "proper" trailer. That IS perfectly legal across Spain (subject to all the rules about lights, brakes, max weights etc....)*
Now, so far as "foreigners" are concerned, Traffico (the Guardia Civil traffic Police who enforce road laws everywhere outside of towns/villages) used to be fairly relaxed about minor "technical breaches" of Spanish traffic laws.........'cos of language difficulties, paperwork reading difficulties, a lack of knowledge about legalities in other EU countries; and also because they were usually tasked with concentrating on far more serious crimes like drink-driving, no insurance (very common here, as insurance costs are very high).............so I'm guessing that in reality almost no foreign A-frame car towing motorhomer has been stopped/fined etc in years gone by; just as no foreigner has been stopped/fined for not having a red and white chevron thingy attached to their push bikes that overhang the rear of their MH.*
BUT, and here's the kicker............things have recently changed. Really changed.*
Spain is in deep financial poo.*
The Government has implemented a wide range of austerity/cost-cutting measures since 2010.*
One of them is that from 2011 onwards the Guardia Civil Traffco nationally must, instead of being largely funded by general taxation, be SELF-FUNDING.*
The only way they can raise the massive funds to pay for their costs is by?*
Yep. Issuing fines.*
The fines money doesn't go straight to them, it goes into the general treasury "pot" but the Hacienda (the Spanish Inland Revenue) are now keeping account of all such fines, to offset them against the costs of the Guardia Civil.*
Now, Mr Guardia Civil Traffico Officer knows very clearly that if he doesn't maximise his revenue generating ability, either he or his fellow officers are gonna get made redundant/lose their grace-and-favour barrack accommodation/lose their pension, etc etc.*
Therefore he and all his fellow officers have embraced this get-a-lot-more-money-in necessity with what can only be described as overwhelming enthusiasm..........more and more day by day.*
Often they now carry card-swipe machines - if you get nicked for speeding/crossing a solid white line/not wearing seatbelt/wearing flip-flops instead of "proper" footwear, they want the fine money off you there and then.*
If you ain't got it, your vehicle is impounded and you get taken to a cashpoint, or home, in order to get the dosh.*
Also the fines have gone up a lot. Expect 100 euros or more for minor traffic infringements.*
Now, I have NOT heard of any Brit getting done/having their car impounded this year for towing a car on an A-frame. But then most of the motorhome forums I read are Spanish, and they wouldn't have heard, 'cos they don't do it.*
All I can tell you as a fact is the Traffico are desperate to gather cash in, and that it is clearly, and well-known, as illegal to do A-frame car towing anywhere in Spain. It's of course also bloody obvious if you are breaking the Spanish law by doing it.*
So, as in previous years, it's a gamble to do it here. But the risk of getting nicked for that, or other driving offences, has gone up a lot since Jan 2011.*
Still probably a hundred times less likely to get nicked here for summat than back in radar-trap/camera/ANPR Big Brother blighty; but I guess it's a lot more likely now than ever it used to be.*
In the end of course it's totally up to you to decide............*
Well what do you think,
his might help understanding a bit, so just to repeat, once again
The law in Spain is perfectly clear on this point.*
Towing a vehicle with another vehicle is specifically forbidden by national law here.*
It is "Ley Nacional".........that means it applies right across the country, and is not amendable by any of the semi autonomous regions.*
There are no ifs, no buts; the law here is not muddy or unclear.*
The law says that you CANNOT tow any vehicle with another vehicle on any Spanish road.*
(I heard that exactly the same restriction applies in Portugal too - but I DO NOT have first hand knowledge of the law there, so this could be simply hearsay)*
Now, that said, you have to understand a bit about the Spanish peoples (and Police) approach to obeying/enforcing laws.*
There are lots of laws here in Spain which were/are observed more in the breach than obedience.*
The Spanish do not tow any vehicle with another (eg in the case of breakdown) because this no-tow law has been in place for decades....and every vehicle insurance contract here always automatically includes provision for a "grua" (one of those flat-bed breakdown recovery vehicles) service if you break down anywhere in the country.*
So far as I'm aware utterly no-one in Spain sells/fits "A-frames" at all, on the basis that there's absolutely no market for them here, as using them would be illegal.*
What the Spanish motor homers do if they have a car with their MH, is carry the car on a "proper" trailer. That IS perfectly legal across Spain (subject to all the rules about lights, brakes, max weights etc....)*
Now, so far as "foreigners" are concerned, Traffico (the Guardia Civil traffic Police who enforce road laws everywhere outside of towns/villages) used to be fairly relaxed about minor "technical breaches" of Spanish traffic laws.........'cos of language difficulties, paperwork reading difficulties, a lack of knowledge about legalities in other EU countries; and also because they were usually tasked with concentrating on far more serious crimes like drink-driving, no insurance (very common here, as insurance costs are very high).............so I'm guessing that in reality almost no foreign A-frame car towing motorhomer has been stopped/fined etc in years gone by; just as no foreigner has been stopped/fined for not having a red and white chevron thingy attached to their push bikes that overhang the rear of their MH.*
BUT, and here's the kicker............things have recently changed. Really changed.*
Spain is in deep financial poo.*
The Government has implemented a wide range of austerity/cost-cutting measures since 2010.*
One of them is that from 2011 onwards the Guardia Civil Traffco nationally must, instead of being largely funded by general taxation, be SELF-FUNDING.*
The only way they can raise the massive funds to pay for their costs is by?*
Yep. Issuing fines.*
The fines money doesn't go straight to them, it goes into the general treasury "pot" but the Hacienda (the Spanish Inland Revenue) are now keeping account of all such fines, to offset them against the costs of the Guardia Civil.*
Now, Mr Guardia Civil Traffico Officer knows very clearly that if he doesn't maximise his revenue generating ability, either he or his fellow officers are gonna get made redundant/lose their grace-and-favour barrack accommodation/lose their pension, etc etc.*
Therefore he and all his fellow officers have embraced this get-a-lot-more-money-in necessity with what can only be described as overwhelming enthusiasm..........more and more day by day.*
Often they now carry card-swipe machines - if you get nicked for speeding/crossing a solid white line/not wearing seatbelt/wearing flip-flops instead of "proper" footwear, they want the fine money off you there and then.*
If you ain't got it, your vehicle is impounded and you get taken to a cashpoint, or home, in order to get the dosh.*
Also the fines have gone up a lot. Expect 100 euros or more for minor traffic infringements.*
Now, I have NOT heard of any Brit getting done/having their car impounded this year for towing a car on an A-frame. But then most of the motorhome forums I read are Spanish, and they wouldn't have heard, 'cos they don't do it.*
All I can tell you as a fact is the Traffico are desperate to gather cash in, and that it is clearly, and well-known, as illegal to do A-frame car towing anywhere in Spain. It's of course also bloody obvious if you are breaking the Spanish law by doing it.*
So, as in previous years, it's a gamble to do it here. But the risk of getting nicked for that, or other driving offences, has gone up a lot since Jan 2011.*
Still probably a hundred times less likely to get nicked here for summat than back in radar-trap/camera/ANPR Big Brother blighty; but I guess it's a lot more likely now than ever it used to be.*
In the end of course it's totally up to you to decide............*
Well what do you think,