The December ‘super bridge’ has arrived, in which by taking three days off you can have 9 days of vacation. It is the longest of the year and, in it, the General Directorate of Traffic estimates that 13.5 million journeys will be carried out in Spain.
As always when an event like this occurs, be it at Easter or the holidays, surveillance on the roads is redoubled —it also coincides with the first week of December, in which Christmas dinners and lunches are already being held— and the probability of being fined is greater.
For this reason, doubts often arise as to whether we can be fined for wearing inappropriate clothing when driving. The truth is that the legal body does not expressly prohibit wearing a certain type of clothing, but this means that it is in the interpretation of the agent.
Officially, the General Traffic Regulation establishes that drivers “They are obliged to maintain their own freedom of movement” (article 18.1 of RD 1428/2003), and to “maintain at all times the conditions to control their vehicles” (art. 17.1). So, to begin with, there are certain situations that can cause problems.
In the summer, this can be as simple as wearing flip-flops – because of their shape, they can get caught under the pedals and prevent the necessary control – or swimming trunks, which can cause seat belt injuries.
In winter, as is the case of the December long weekend, the problem may be precisely the limitation of movement, with three big suspects: bulky coats, thick boots and gloves.
It’s true that on icy mornings the last thing anyone wants to do is take off their coat and gloves in a car that will feel like a freezer until the engine warms up and they can push warm air out of the climate control system, but wait until that happens before risking a fine, which can amount to 80 euros, as it is considered a minor infraction.
Coats can affect the geometry of our bodies and the way they interact in the event of an accident. This is also true for toddlers who fit differently in their seats. They must also go coatless while wearing their restraint systems.