EQUIPMENT TO CARRY IN YOUR CAR

Features » Motoring in Spain » The Car Clinic

Tony Banham (The Car Clinic) / 2010-05-12 20:43:50

A broken down car

Last week I discussed what paperwork we all need to carry with us whilst out and about on the sunny Costa Blanca, so this week I want to go into detail of what, to be legal and for safety reasons should be kept in our cars.

At any time a breakdown is an unwanted experience, but unfortunately it does happen from time to time, so in the words of Robert Baden-Powell, “Be Prepared”. In the event firstly try to pull over and stop in the safest place you can. Switch on the hazard warning lights and turn off the ignition. First thing to is adorn one of our fluorescent jackets, this is the one that must be kept in the drivers compartment within reach of the driver without having to exit the car.

The number of jackets required by law is stated on your green Inspeccion tecnica (as described last week) you will find on the left side “No. de asientos” followed by a figure. This is the quantity of jackets you must carry, one per permitted passenger. Now looking like we should be stood next to a cooler box on the 332 road works with a stop/go signal in hand, we can exit the car.

In the boot we have a spare bulb kit, another grey area. Bulb kit should be in your car although some modern vehicles the headlights are not accessible without the use of special tools. My advice is to have a kit just in case. Alongside the bulbs are spare fuses (as required by law) we have two (required by law) red safety triangles. The first should be placed a minimum of 15 metres behind the car on the road side, the other in front 20-30 metres with the reflective side facing oncoming traffic. (Wherever possible)

Now is the time to contact you insurance company. They will send you a Grua (recovery truck) to your assistance. Depending on your company this normally takes 30-45 minutes and is for all mechanical breakdowns. (Do not attempt to have a friend tow you or you and you friend are looking at a fine if caught.) The service is completely free and is normally included on all Spanish insurance policies. Please check if you are driving an English registered vehicle. Not all English companies include breakdown cover.

Although not required by law it is a good idea to keep nicely tucked away next to your triangles, is a good quality first aid kit and a fire extinguisher. If you wear glasses then you must by law keep a spare pair in the driving compartment. In the event of a puncture, for those of you who are confident enough to change the tyre, a pair of latex gloves and a torch with spare batteries will never go amiss.

I’ve always been a big believer that everyone who drives should have the knowledge on how to change a tyre, check the oil and water and top up where necessary. But we don’t live in my world, so if in doubt call by the garage and ask, after all that’s why we’re here.

I would like to say that one other very helpful item that we should carry in our boot is a safety approved fuel container, but I’m not. I am a firm believer that if you run out of petrol or diesel through no fault of the vehicle but down to the fact that you are running about with a few litres of fuel sloshing around in all the dirt and sand in the bowels of your tank then you are about to get what you deserve. Not only is it taking years off the life of your engine and highly complex fuel injection system, but you are about to inconvenience other people when the inevitable happens. In this day and age with fuel stations aplenty there are no reasons to run dry. In my opinion this behaviour should be a punishable event. But there again anyone like myself with military background knows it is.

Next week we are going to dive deeper into the Spanish motoring world with an in-depth look at the I.T.V (Inspeccion Tecnica Vehiculos) or a MoT in old money.

Don’t forget if you have any queries; please get in touch at thecarclinic@hotmail.com until then, when you're right, no one remembers. When you're wrong, no one forgets.

Happy motoring!

Tony

The above article was provided by the Car Clinic and as such The Leader Newspaper cannot be held responsible for its accuracy.

Tags: Equipment, Necessary, Car