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Spain Warns Drivers Over Hazard Lights

Published

16 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Spain’s DGT reminds drivers that hazard lights are only for genuine emergencies, not illegal stops. Credit : Andriiii, Shutterstock

It happens every day on streets across Spain. A driver pulls up outside a shop, stops in a bus lane or double parks for ‘just a minute’, switches on the hazard lights and assumes that’s enough to avoid getting into trouble. According to Spain’s Directorate General of Traffic (DGT), it isn’t.

The traffic authority is reminding motorists that hazard lights, often called warning lights or ‘four way flashers’, do not give drivers permission to stop wherever they like. If your vehicle is parked or stopped somewhere it shouldn’t be, turning on the hazard lights won’t make it legal and, in some situations, you could still face a €200 fine.

The reminder comes as many drivers continue to misuse the lights, often believing they act as a temporary pass for quick stops, collections or deliveries. The DGT says that’s one of the most common misunderstandings on Spanish roads.

Why your hazard lights don’t make an illegal stop legal

For many drivers, switching on the hazard lights has become almost automatic. Someone jumps out to collect a takeaway, drop off a parcel or pick up a passenger, and the warning lights start flashing before the engine is even switched off.

The problem is that the law doesn’t work that way.

Under Article 109 of Spain’s General Traffic Regulations, hazard lights are intended to warn other road users about an exceptional situation that could present a danger, not to excuse an illegal stop.

That includes situations such as a mechanical breakdown, a road traffic accident or any other incident that forces a vehicle to stop unexpectedly in a place where it could create a hazard.

A voluntary stop is something entirely different. If you choose to stop in a prohibited area, on double yellow lines, in a bus lane or in double parking simply because you expect to be there briefly, activating the hazard lights does not change the nature of the offence.

In other words, the flashing lights may warn other drivers that your vehicle is there, but they do not give you permission to leave it there.

The DGT also points out another common mistake.

Some motorists use their hazard lights when pulling over to the side of the road. The correct signal while carrying out that manoeuvre is the appropriate indicator, not the hazard lights. Even then, using the indicator does not make it lawful to stop somewhere where stopping is prohibited.

The mistake that could leave you with a €200 penalty

One of the biggest myths among drivers is that staying inside the car somehow changes the rules.

It doesn’t. Whether you’re waiting for someone, answering a phone call or expecting to drive away after a few seconds, an illegal stop remains an illegal stop. If your vehicle blocks part of the carriageway or makes it more difficult for traffic to pass, the offence becomes more serious.

According to the DGT, that can result in a €200 fine.

The authority also reminds drivers that hazard lights are compulsory in some situations.

If your vehicle breaks down or has to stop in circumstances that could endanger other road users, failing to warn approaching traffic correctly may also lead to a penalty.

In those cases, the fine can start at €80. The purpose of the system is simple. Drivers approaching from behind should immediately understand that something unexpected has happened ahead.

Using hazard lights for everyday parking or convenience weakens that message and can create confusion for other motorists.

Another common habit the DGT wants drivers to avoid

Incorrect use of hazard lights isn’t limited to parking. Many drivers also switch them on the moment they see slow moving traffic or a queue forming ahead, even while their own vehicle is still moving.

The DGT says that’s not the recommended way to warn other road users.

If traffic begins to slow, drivers should brake progressively so that their brake lights clearly show vehicles behind that speed is being reduced.

Hazard lights should only be activated once the vehicle has come to a complete stop and there is a genuine risk of being hit from behind by approaching traffic.

Although many motorists have seen different habits on Spanish roads over the years, that remains the guidance set out by the traffic authority.

What hazard lights are actually for

Hazard lights are one of the simplest safety systems fitted to every vehicle. Their purpose is to communicate that something unusual has happened.

Perhaps the car has broken down. Perhaps there has been an accident. Perhaps the driver has been forced to stop because continuing would be unsafe.

Those are the situations where the flashing lights help other drivers understand they may need to slow down or change lane. Using them simply because it’s easier than finding a legal parking space sends the wrong message and reduces the value of a warning system designed to prevent collisions.

For motorists, the safest approach is also the simplest. If you’re stopping because of an emergency or an unexpected problem, use your hazard lights.

If you’re stopping because you’re collecting someone, making a quick delivery or popping into a shop, the flashing lights won’t protect you from a parking ticket or a traffic fine.

As the DGT continues to remind drivers, hazard lights are a safety warning, not a free pass to ignore the parking rules.

Related Topics:DGT Driving In Spain EuroWeekly Motoring News Spanish Living

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Marbella Police Cracking Down On Alcohol And Drugs

Published

5 hours ago

July 18, 2026

Adam Woodward

marbella-police-cracking-down-on-alcohol-and-drugs

Marbella police cracking down on alcohol and drug use behind the wheel. Credit: Marbella Policia Local

Marbella local police officers have been carrying out a new set of preventive controls in the La Campana district to reinforce road safety throughout the city and support safer conditions for all road users.

Alcohol and drug testing operation

Police officers joined forces with the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) for a campaign focused on alcohol and drug detection. Their main objective centred on finding drivers who could endanger everyone using the roads. Recent national data puts the problem into context. Civil Guard traffic officers completed 144,346 drug tests in 2025. This total exceeds the 122,938 tests from 2024 and represents the highest number since 2021. Sanctions with loss of points, reached 70,717 drivers last year for drug driving. The figure increased by 6,403 from the year before.

Motorcycle and moped inspections

Officers carried out specific inspections on motorcycles and mopeds during the controls. Teams verified that vehicles met all technical requirements and followed current regulations fully. Extra attention went to unauthorised modifications, exhaust systems and further components which might compromise safety or generate complaints from locals. These actions help ensure greater safety for every person on the roads in the district.

Alcohol controls and safety research

Alcohol test numbers climbed in recent years to more than six million checks in 2025. Year-on-year comparisons prove difficult following changes in recording methods. Research from Valencia University indicates accident risk can triple even at alcohol levels of 0.5 grams per litre or less. Traffic authorities maintain action on several fronts at once. Surveillance campaigns run continuously together with regulatory updates and education initiatives aimed at drivers. These measures operate under the Safe System framework set out in the 2030 Road Safety Strategy. Sustained reductions in road accidents and their impacts form the central purpose.

Marbella police dedication to road safety

Preventive operations of this kind demonstrate the ongoing commitment from Marbella police to safer mobility for residents and visitors. They promote rule compliance and help reduce local road accidents. Responsible driving continues to save lives in towns across the country.

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Hästens Marbella By Bdhome: The Architecture Of Rest

Published

5 hours ago

July 18, 2026

Penny

hastens-marbella-by-bdhome:-the-architecture-of-rest

Hästens Marbella by bdhome.

In a world where luxury is often associated with speed, novelty and excess, Hästens invites us to look in another direction: towards time, craftsmanship and the quiet value of things made properly.

At bdhome Marbella, official distributor of the prestigious Swedish brand Hästens, we believe that true residential luxury begins with the way a home makes you feel. A beautiful bedroom is not only a matter of design. It is a place where wellbeing, comfort and rest become part of everyday life.

The story of Hästens is extraordinary because it did not begin with beds. It began in 1852 with saddlery. In nineteenth-century Sweden, the Hästens family worked with horsehair, leather and natural materials, creating products for the equestrian world. But when the rise of the motor industry changed everything, the family did not disappear with the trade that had shaped them. Instead, they adapted. They transformed their knowledge of natural materials, comfort and handcraft into something unexpected: the creation of some of the world’s most respected beds.

Six generations later, Hästens remains a family company with a deep respect for the human hand. In an age where many businesses try to grow by replacing people with automation, Hästens asks a different question: what if human craftsmanship is not a cost to eliminate, but the very value to protect?

Each Hästens bed carries with it knowledge passed from person to person, generation after generation. It speaks of time, responsibility, natural materials and the decision to preserve an identity even when modern industry often moves in the opposite direction.

This philosophy was beautifully expressed by Jan Ryde, fifth generation of the Hästens family, in his book When Business Is Love. For him, love in business is not sentimental. It is practical. It means caring for people, working with honesty and integrity, protecting craftsmanship, building lasting relationships and proving that a company does not have to choose between humanity and profitability.

At bdhome Marbella, this vision connects deeply with our own history. After 30 years helping international homeowners on the Costa del Sol create elegant, comfortable and timeless homes, we understand that a bed is never just a bed. It is part of the architecture of rest.

We do not simply furnish bedrooms.

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Hästens Marbella by bdhome

Private Sleep Experience · By appointment

C/ Antonio Herrero 3, Local 1 · 29602 Marbella

+34 952 861 122 · info@bdhome.es

hastensmarbella.com

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Axarquia Wildfire Cause Emergency Response

Published

21 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Adam Woodward

axarquia-wildfire-cause-emergency-response

Competa on fire. Credit: Valeria Pérez WW

Emergency services have activated level 1 protocols after a forest fire broke out in Archez and rapidly spread to neighbouring areas in the Axarquia region of Malaga.

Officials from Plan Infoca were quick to respond to the blaze first reported at 12.44 in the Barranco de la Fuente area. Crews deployed multiple aircraft, including two light helicopters, one semi-heavy helicopter, two ground-loading planes and a coordination aircraft. Ground teams consisted of 17 personnel supported by a water tanker.

15/07/2026. 🕗 15.30 h.

🔴 ACTUALIZACIÓN #IFÁrchez, #Málaga | Trabajamos en su estabilización.

MEDIOS:
🚁 2 ligeros, 2 semipesados, 1 mando
🛩️ 4 carga en tierra, 1 coordinación
👩‍🚒 80 efectivos por tierra
🚒 2 autobombas
📡 1 equipo de mando
🩺 1 unidad médica pic.twitter.com/gosG06CKQD

— EMA INFOCA (@Plan_INFOCA) July 17, 2026

Fire jumps between villages calling for evacuations

Local authorities confirmed the flames moved quickly from Archez into Canillas de Albaida and Competa. One mayor described how the fire crossed a gully despite initial containment efforts, burning through avocado cultivation plots and forcing preventive evacuations of homes and an entire urbanisation.

🔴 Elevamos a fase de emergencia, situación operativa 1, el #PlanInfoca en la provincia de #Málaga por la evolución del #IFÁrchez

🔥 Como medida preventiva, se recomienda evitar la zona y seguir las indicaciones de los servicios de emergencia.

🏠 Quédate en casa. Cierra… pic.twitter.com/Bcs6CxxX6b

— Antonio Sanz Cabello (@antoniosanz) July 17, 2026

No personal injuries have been reported so far. Teams focused efforts on protecting residential zones and agricultural land. A road closure formed part of safety measures in the affected zone. Residents received instructions to stay indoors, keep doors and windows shut if smoke reached them, and pay extra attention to children, elderly people and vulnerable groups. People should avoid the area entirely and follow all directions from emergency teams.

Restaurant blaze causes tension in Velez-Malaga centre

Separate from the forest incident, a fire broke out early Friday morning inside Sushi One Asiatico restaurant in Velez-Malaga. Flames started around 10am on the ground floor of a five-storey residential building in Calle Aceitunos, close to Avenida de Las Naciones.

Fire in central Velez-Malaga.
Credit: CPB Malaga

Dense smoke led firefighters to evacuate around 20 residents from the block as a precaution. Fortunately the restaurant was closed to customers at the time, which helped complete the operation quickly without any reported injuries or smoke inhalation cases. Damage remained confined mostly to the interior of the establishment. Investigators pointed to a possible electrical fault or equipment issue rather than any link to the wider fires.

Multiple units from the Provincial Fire Consortium in Velez-Malaga, along with local police and medical services, attended the scene. Officers cordoned off access routes while crews tackled the blaze from several angles. A large plume of black smoke became visible across much of the town, drawing public attention. By approximately 11am, firefighters declared the fire under control and began ventilation and safety checks to prevent re-ignition in ceiling voids or ducts.

Safety advice still key for local communities

Both incidents go to show the heightened alert for the weekend and the high need for vigilance during such dry and hot conditions in southern Spain. Authorities continue to call for caution and full cooperation with emergency instructions in all affected parts of Malaga province. Updates will follow as containment progresses on the forest fire and investigations advance on the restaurant incident