# Motoring Offence



## vicswitchblade (Sep 26, 2018)

Hi, I live in Gibraltar and have a Gib car. i was driving in Spain (late at night) and was overtaking when a Spanish Police car came right up behind me and started flashing its lighs very aggressively, but no blue lights were flashing. Looking back I probably should have sped up then moved over but I panicked a bit and slowed down to drop in behind the car I was overtaking. The whole incident was a maximum of 15 seconds.

To cut a long story short, I was pulled over. The Police man was very aggressive, shouting and talking rapidly. He insisted I speak Spanish. Luckily I can to some extent. I asked him to speak slower but he was very wound up. He said he could arrest me if he wanted and it would be six points and a fine.

He had all my documents but after checking gave me them back. In the end, he let me go, no ticket, no payment. Due to his attitude and the communication issues I left unsure as to whether that is the end of it or not. 

My question is, can I expect a fine in the post or would he have fined me right there or issued a ticket on the spot?


----------



## Dunpleecin (Dec 20, 2012)

Was he in a marked vehicle? 
Was he in uniform? 
If the answer to either of those questions was no, he wasn’t a cop.


----------



## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Sounds like he needed to vent his spleen a bit.

If he didn't ask you to sign anything, there is probably no ticket, although it is not unheard of for the GC to write the ticket out later, and write "subject refused to sign" in the signature box and the driver only finds out when they get the fine or summons in the post.

Most probably you will be lucky. He got whatever it was off his chest by shouting at you, so probably won't have been bothered to write up a ticket. 

Not a nice situation to be in, put down as a life experience.


----------



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

There have been a lot of car chases and drug busts in the area recently. We got caught up in one coming back from Gibraltar last week, stinger spikes across the road and all. Perhaps he'd just lost someone he was chasing and was hyped up on adrenalin!


----------



## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

I think he would have given you a ticket there and then - that's what's happened to me - I wouldn't worry about it.

By the way - what was it that he said you had done wrong - did you catch that from what he said?


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

vicswitchblade said:


> Hi, I live in Gibraltar and have a Gib car. i was driving in Spain (late at night) and was overtaking when a Spanish Police car came right up behind me and started flashing its lighs very aggressively, but no blue lights were flashing. Looking back I probably should have sped up then moved over but I panicked a bit and slowed down to drop in behind the car I was overtaking. The whole incident was a maximum of 15 seconds.
> 
> To cut a long story short, I was pulled over. The Police man was very aggressive, shouting and talking rapidly. He insisted I speak Spanish. Luckily I can to some extent. I asked him to speak slower but he was very wound up. He said he could arrest me if he wanted and it would be six points and a fine.
> 
> ...


You can look and see if you have been fined here, but I'm not sure if they all the info here about all the different fines

buscamultas.com, Buscador de multas independiente
Or on the official page, which is more complicated to move around

https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/tramites-y-multas/alguna-multa/
Here's info in English about how to pay a fine
https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/tramites-y-multas/alguna-multa/alguna-multa-en/


You didn't say if you thought you had committed an offence or not...


----------



## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> You can look and see if you have been fined here, but I'm not sure if they all the info here about all the different fines
> 
> buscamultas.com, Buscador de multas independiente
> Or on the official page, which is more complicated to move around
> ...


These servises consult the BOE where sanctions are published, but as far as I am aware, foreign plated cars will not appear.

I still think it is very unlikely that a GC willl go to the effort of writing out a ticket a posteriori for a foreign plated car.


----------



## Darby Allen (Sep 22, 2014)

Overandout said:


> These servises consult the BOE where sanctions are published, but as far as I am aware, foreign plated cars will not appear.
> 
> I still think it is very unlikely that a GC willl go to the effort of writing out a ticket a posteriori for a foreign plated car.


Bear in mind that VicSwitchblade's car has Gib plates on it, a red rag to a bull for some people.

I was stationed at RAF Gibraltar 1985-87, and I was stopped for speeding near Vigo in 1986. I was not speeding, but my Spanish wasn't up to a reasoned argument with the copper, although it was good enough for me to deduce that I was actually stopped for driving on Gib plates.
I was fined, and because I paid cash there and then I got a 60% discount! I don't know if that still applies.
The copper gave me a receipt with my copy of the ticket, so it's possible that the cash didn't go into his own pocket!

I lived in La Línea during 2013-14, and even then people were being hassled by the cops for driving on Gib plates.


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Do pay on the spot fines still exist in Spain?
Answering my own question, the answer is maybe in the sense that if the fine is from traffic police you can pay on the spot IF you prefer
https://www.motor.mapfre.es/consejos-practicos/seguridad-vial/se-puede-pagar-multa-momento/


> Realmente, el pago al momento es una práctica en desuso. Y no siempre es posible hacerlo. Todo depende de la autoridad que te esté sancionando. Por ejemplo, las *sanciones de tráfico impuestas por la DGT* no pueden pagarse al momento, sino que deben abonarse por alguno de los medios habilitados para ello.





> Por el contrario, si la infracción es notificada por un Agente de la Policía Municipal, o por un Agente de Movilidad, sí *se puede pagar una multa en el momento de la sanción* directamente al agente que la impuso o, como ocurre en las multas de ORA, a través de los parquímetros.


I don't have time to translate now, sorry, but hey, good practice for those of you who don't speak much Spanish, but drive in Spain


----------

