Back into the past: new old speed limits return.

Well it finally happened: one of the most absurd volte-faces ever seen this century in Spain since the way society changed after the death of Franco.  On the day (July 1) that thousands left for their annual holidays (Operation Salida), the DGT, ie the Government traffic dept, tore down all the 110 kph signs up and down the country's motorways and replaced them with 120 kph signs only four months after doing the reverse - then  purportedly to save fuel and to prevent accidents.

It is totally unbelievable  that the Traffic Minister, Pere Navarro actually should have stated on Thursday  June 1 that his summer 'campaign' was designed to reduce accidents which went up in 2010 ( resulting in 352 deaths in the summer period last year, 6 per day) . Additionally he 'hopes' that arrests for driving under the influence of too much alcohol (102,000 last year) will go down. How? By magic? Certainly not by judicial firmness anyway as only approximately 8% (16,000) of those with an alcohol reading over the limit were punished.

We've had all the education we need. We've had all the TV programmes showing arrogant bad drivers and their stupidity. What is needed is action. Short sharp shocks in the form of fines that hurt.  And on the spot like you have in neighbouring France, a country where the police don't footsie around and where they don't have to listen to wimpish politicians who want to get stay in their current jobs next year after elections take place.

Peoples'safety on the roads should be totally independent of politics especially when there is universal evidence that driving with excessive speed causes accidents. Instead Navarro asks for some abstract quality called 'Prudence ' a word I doubt translates into Spanish. I wish him luck in his 'campaigns' against alcohol ( 11-17 July and 15-21 August). The rest of the summer the Spanish drivers will, as they always have done, drink as much as they like and continue to drive home all over the road. Possibly the only thing that will keep them from drinking too much ironically will the the fact that their Government has taken awaymany of their jobs. (above 20% unemployment is no joke)  On July 2, I certainly noted no reduction in the amount of wine being ordered  at a certain Costa Brava restaurant out in a so-called fashionable village. But then it wasn't the sort of place ordinary workers frequent. Few of them are out there!