This week, the N332 Driving in Spain Podcast delivers essential updates affecting drivers across Europe. We begin in Spain, where the DGT has formally revamped the driving theory test, introducing new questions based on updated road signage and confirming plans to integrate video-based risk assessment in 2026—a model inspired by the UK and Australia. If you are learning to drive or renewing your knowledge, this is critical information.
Crossing to the UK, we detail the urgent tyre safety warning issued by National Highways. Shocking statistics reveal that one in four vehicles may be running on illegal or defective tyres, posing a risk comparable to mobile phone use at the wheel. We explain the 'T.R.I.P.' campaign and why checking your tyres is more crucial than ever as winter approaches.
We also look at forthcoming changes to UK driving law, including proposals for mandatory medical and eye tests for drivers over 70 at licence renewal, and a potential lowering of the drink-drive limit in England and Wales to match Scotland and the EU.
Finally, we feature a full breakdown of the DGT’s mandatory technical standards for e-scooters and Personal Mobility Vehicles (VMPs) in Spain, covering everything from speed limits and lighting requirements to the new Certificate of Compliance. Our Motoring History Corner looks back at the launch of the controversial Ford Sierra and the day a British car broke the sound barrier.
For more updates, visit Mark Nolan's Podcast!
Crossing to the UK, we detail the urgent tyre safety warning issued by National Highways. Shocking statistics reveal that one in four vehicles may be running on illegal or defective tyres, posing a risk comparable to mobile phone use at the wheel. We explain the 'T.R.I.P.' campaign and why checking your tyres is more crucial than ever as winter approaches.
We also look at forthcoming changes to UK driving law, including proposals for mandatory medical and eye tests for drivers over 70 at licence renewal, and a potential lowering of the drink-drive limit in England and Wales to match Scotland and the EU.
Finally, we feature a full breakdown of the DGT’s mandatory technical standards for e-scooters and Personal Mobility Vehicles (VMPs) in Spain, covering everything from speed limits and lighting requirements to the new Certificate of Compliance. Our Motoring History Corner looks back at the launch of the controversial Ford Sierra and the day a British car broke the sound barrier.
For more updates, visit Mark Nolan's Podcast!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the N three three to two Driving in
Spain podcast. Here's Mark Nolan with the latest.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Hello and welcome to the N three three to two
Driving in Spain podcast, your weekly guide to road safety,
traffic law and all things motoring across Spain, the UK
and Europe. I'm Mark Nolan, and this week we have
some truly significant news stories for both residents and visitors alike.
Right out of the gate, we're diving deep into some
(00:27):
huge developments from the Spanish DGT. The Driving Theory test
is officially getting a major modern upgrade with new trickier
questions and a host of updated road signs that you
absolutely must know if you plan on driving or taking
your test. Here we then cross the channel to the UK,
(00:48):
where National Highways is sounding a very loud and very
necessary alarm over a safety hazard that's shockingly common, illegal
and defective tires. They have figures that put the danger
by worn rubber on the same level as using a
mobile phone at the wheel, and we'll tell you why. Finally,
we look at proposed legislation that could fundamentally change driving
(01:11):
for older motorists in the UK, with new mandatory vision
and medical checks being seriously considered as part of the
government's next road safety push. We also have a full
breakdown of the crucial technical rules for east scooters on
Spanish roads, and as always, will take a trip through
the motoring archives for this week in History. Stay with
(01:33):
us as we get into the details. Right after this,
we start with the three big stories we selected to
expand on this week, and first up is Spain's commitment
to creating better informed drivers. The Spanish Director at General
of Traffic or DGT, has kicked off a significant overhaul
of the Driving Theory Test. This isn't just a slight refresh,
(01:55):
it's a move to make the theory exam far more
rigorous and reflective of modern traffic challenges, putting an end
to the culture of simple memorization that has dogged the
test for years. Effective this month, the exam will immediately
incorporate the entire new catalog of Spanish road signs. That
means candidates now face questions on the new signs, covering
(02:18):
everything from wild boar warnings and the set up for
two plus one lanes to clear as signs for electric
vehicle charging points and low emission zones. The goal is
to move the test from a passive knowledge assessment to
one that evaluates a would be driver's genuine ability to
apply rules in modern situations. To achieve this, the DGT
(02:39):
confirmed that from twenty twenty six, the exam will begin
incorporating audio visual segments short videos of real traffic scenarios
where the candidate must spot a risk or react appropriately.
This approach, already proven in the UK and Australia, is
a major step towards training better risk aware drivers. From
day one, deanes a thirty question digital test with a
(03:02):
maximum of three permitted errors, but the questions are now
drawn from a database of over fifteen thousand, making it
much harder to simply mug up the answers. Now to
the UK, where National Highways has launched its seasonal trip campaign,
specifically highlighting tire safety during National Tire Safety Month. The
(03:24):
campaign is urgently needed because the statistics are terrifying. National
Highways warns that an estimated six million illegal tires are
currently in use on UK roads, meaning a staggering one
in every four vehicles could be driving with unsafe rubber.
The data shows that in twenty twenty three, one hundred
(03:45):
and ninety people were killed or seriously injured due to
defective tires. That's an increase of nearly thirty percent on
the previous year and puts the danger posed by defective
tires on a par with serious collisions caused by drivers
using mobile phones. Furthermore, tire related issues are now the
(04:05):
single most common cause of breakdowns on motorways and major
a roads, accounting for nearly one in five callouts. The
message is clear, inspect your tires, check pressure, tread, depth
and damage. It is literally a matter of life and death,
especially as we head into the wetter, colder months. We
(04:25):
too have been looking at tires on the website as
Tire Safety Months should cross to all countries. Finally, a
look at proposed changes in the UK that could have
wide ranging impact, especially for the expatriate community. New Reports
suggests the government's Driving Laws twenty twenty five strategy will
contain two particularly significant reforms. The first involves older drivers. Currently,
(04:50):
drivers over seventy must renew their license every three years
via self declaration. The new proposal is to introduce compulsory
ye and medical checks at the point of renewal. This
shifts the burden from self reporting to a verified system,
ensuring older drivers meet the required visual and physical standards
(05:13):
for driving safely. The second proposal is to lower the
drink drive limit in England and Wales from thirty five
micrograms of alcohol per one hundred millimeters of breath down
to twenty two micrograms. This would align the limit with
Scotland and the vast majority of our European neighbors, including
(05:33):
Spain's non professional limit, making it far easier to unknowingly
exceed the limit after even a small drink. These proposed
changes reflect a serious push towards the Vision Zero goal
of eliminating road fatalities and after a look at the
content you can find on the N three to three
to two website this week. We have lots about scooters
(05:55):
on the website this month, leading to the launch of
something special in early November, which I will tell you
about soon. But this week I want to focus on
an important part of buying an electric scooter as we
head towards the Black Friday sales and Christmas gift season.
The article details the technical requirements for e scooters and
(06:15):
personal mobility vehicles vps in Spain. For an e scooter
to be legal on Spanish public roads, it must meet
specific technical and safety requirements, and if it doesn't, it
is strictly illegal to use. The technical specifications are non
negotiable and include a speed design limit of between six
kilometers per hour and twenty five kilometers per hour. Anything
(06:38):
slower or faster is not classified as a VMP. The
vehicle must not have a seat or saddle, otherwise it
is reclassified. Crucially, all VMPs must have effective breaks, a
bell or similar audible warning device, and mandatory front and
rear lights and reflectors for visibility, and since January twenty
(06:59):
second of this year, all new VMPs must possess a
manufacturer's certificate of compliance proving they meet these safety standards.
Up Finally, the rules on where you can drive them
are key. VMPs are banned from using pedestrian areas into
urban roads, motorways, dual carriageways, and tunnels. We urge all
(07:20):
riders to check their vehicle against these rules before taking
to the streets, and you can find the full clear
breakdown of this on the N three to three to
two website. Now, now it's time to put our historian
hat on and look back at some milestones from this
week in motoring history. We'll start in the UK on
(07:41):
October thirteenth, nineteen eighty two, which I actually mentioned last
week a little early, but I was excited, so it
is here again. October thirteenth marked the date the Ford
Sierra officially went on sale. This car was meant to
be Fords Brave New World, placing the hugely popular, if
(08:02):
slightly dated Cortina. However, its smooth, aerodynamic jellymold styling was
considered far too futuristic for the conservative British public at
the time. Despite a slow start, the Sierra eventually became
a mainstay on British roads, selling approximately one point three
million units before its replacement by the Mondeo a little
(08:23):
later this week. On October fifteenth, nineteen ninety seven, British
engineering and a determined driver made a piece of land
speed history. On this date, the jet powered Thrust SSC,
driven by Andy Green, not only set a new world
land speed record, but became the first land vehicle in
history to officially break the sound barrier, roaring across the
(08:45):
Nevada Desert at a confirmed speed of seven hundred sixty
four point one six eight miles per hour, an incredible
achievement of British design and derring do. Finally, while hard
dates are rare in the mid century, this week falls
within the critical era of the nineteen fifties, when the
foundation of Spain's modern road network was truly established. This
(09:08):
era saw the planning and initial construction of the major
motorway arteries such as the Zaragoza Madrid Barcelona connections, which
were instrumental in shifting Spain from a regional road system
to a nationwide transport powerhouse, a change that ultimately paved
the way for the road network we drive on today,
and that brings us to the end of this week's
(09:28):
N three three to two Driving in Spain podcast. We've
covered major changes coming to Spanish driver training, a vital
safety warning about tire condition in the UK, and significant
potential changes to driving law for older motorists. All the
essential information on the new technical requirements for escooters in
(09:49):
Spain is available for you to read and download on
our website right now. A massive thank you for tuning in.
You can always find more details on everything we've discussed in,
including links to the official sources and the full text
of our feature article on the N three three two website.
Please remember to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite
(10:11):
platform to ensure you never miss an episode. And if
you found this information useful, please do leave us a review.
Until next week, Drive safely wherever you are and Pastor Luego.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
That was the N three three to two Driving in
Spain podcast presented by Mark Nolan. My name is Lily.
If you want to know how we use AI in
these productions, you can find out all about it on
the website N three three two dot e sc you
next time
This is the N three three to two Driving in
Spain podcast. Here's Mark Nolan with the latest.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Hello and welcome to the N three three to two
Driving in Spain podcast, your weekly guide to road safety,
traffic law and all things motoring across Spain, the UK
and Europe. I'm Mark Nolan, and this week we have
some truly significant news stories for both residents and visitors alike.
Right out of the gate, we're diving deep into some
(00:27):
huge developments from the Spanish DGT. The Driving Theory test
is officially getting a major modern upgrade with new trickier
questions and a host of updated road signs that you
absolutely must know if you plan on driving or taking
your test. Here we then cross the channel to the UK,
(00:48):
where National Highways is sounding a very loud and very
necessary alarm over a safety hazard that's shockingly common, illegal
and defective tires. They have figures that put the danger
by worn rubber on the same level as using a
mobile phone at the wheel, and we'll tell you why. Finally,
we look at proposed legislation that could fundamentally change driving
(01:11):
for older motorists in the UK, with new mandatory vision
and medical checks being seriously considered as part of the
government's next road safety push. We also have a full
breakdown of the crucial technical rules for east scooters on
Spanish roads, and as always, will take a trip through
the motoring archives for this week in History. Stay with
(01:33):
us as we get into the details. Right after this,
we start with the three big stories we selected to
expand on this week, and first up is Spain's commitment
to creating better informed drivers. The Spanish Director at General
of Traffic or DGT, has kicked off a significant overhaul
of the Driving Theory Test. This isn't just a slight refresh,
(01:55):
it's a move to make the theory exam far more
rigorous and reflective of modern traffic challenges, putting an end
to the culture of simple memorization that has dogged the
test for years. Effective this month, the exam will immediately
incorporate the entire new catalog of Spanish road signs. That
means candidates now face questions on the new signs, covering
(02:18):
everything from wild boar warnings and the set up for
two plus one lanes to clear as signs for electric
vehicle charging points and low emission zones. The goal is
to move the test from a passive knowledge assessment to
one that evaluates a would be driver's genuine ability to
apply rules in modern situations. To achieve this, the DGT
(02:39):
confirmed that from twenty twenty six, the exam will begin
incorporating audio visual segments short videos of real traffic scenarios
where the candidate must spot a risk or react appropriately.
This approach, already proven in the UK and Australia, is
a major step towards training better risk aware drivers. From
day one, deanes a thirty question digital test with a
(03:02):
maximum of three permitted errors, but the questions are now
drawn from a database of over fifteen thousand, making it
much harder to simply mug up the answers. Now to
the UK, where National Highways has launched its seasonal trip campaign,
specifically highlighting tire safety during National Tire Safety Month. The
(03:24):
campaign is urgently needed because the statistics are terrifying. National
Highways warns that an estimated six million illegal tires are
currently in use on UK roads, meaning a staggering one
in every four vehicles could be driving with unsafe rubber.
The data shows that in twenty twenty three, one hundred
(03:45):
and ninety people were killed or seriously injured due to
defective tires. That's an increase of nearly thirty percent on
the previous year and puts the danger posed by defective
tires on a par with serious collisions caused by drivers
using mobile phones. Furthermore, tire related issues are now the
(04:05):
single most common cause of breakdowns on motorways and major
a roads, accounting for nearly one in five callouts. The
message is clear, inspect your tires, check pressure, tread, depth
and damage. It is literally a matter of life and death,
especially as we head into the wetter, colder months. We
(04:25):
too have been looking at tires on the website as
Tire Safety Months should cross to all countries. Finally, a
look at proposed changes in the UK that could have
wide ranging impact, especially for the expatriate community. New Reports
suggests the government's Driving Laws twenty twenty five strategy will
contain two particularly significant reforms. The first involves older drivers. Currently,
(04:50):
drivers over seventy must renew their license every three years
via self declaration. The new proposal is to introduce compulsory
ye and medical checks at the point of renewal. This
shifts the burden from self reporting to a verified system,
ensuring older drivers meet the required visual and physical standards
(05:13):
for driving safely. The second proposal is to lower the
drink drive limit in England and Wales from thirty five
micrograms of alcohol per one hundred millimeters of breath down
to twenty two micrograms. This would align the limit with
Scotland and the vast majority of our European neighbors, including
(05:33):
Spain's non professional limit, making it far easier to unknowingly
exceed the limit after even a small drink. These proposed
changes reflect a serious push towards the Vision Zero goal
of eliminating road fatalities and after a look at the
content you can find on the N three to three
to two website this week. We have lots about scooters
(05:55):
on the website this month, leading to the launch of
something special in early November, which I will tell you
about soon. But this week I want to focus on
an important part of buying an electric scooter as we
head towards the Black Friday sales and Christmas gift season.
The article details the technical requirements for e scooters and
(06:15):
personal mobility vehicles vps in Spain. For an e scooter
to be legal on Spanish public roads, it must meet
specific technical and safety requirements, and if it doesn't, it
is strictly illegal to use. The technical specifications are non
negotiable and include a speed design limit of between six
kilometers per hour and twenty five kilometers per hour. Anything
(06:38):
slower or faster is not classified as a VMP. The
vehicle must not have a seat or saddle, otherwise it
is reclassified. Crucially, all VMPs must have effective breaks, a
bell or similar audible warning device, and mandatory front and
rear lights and reflectors for visibility, and since January twenty
(06:59):
second of this year, all new VMPs must possess a
manufacturer's certificate of compliance proving they meet these safety standards.
Up Finally, the rules on where you can drive them
are key. VMPs are banned from using pedestrian areas into
urban roads, motorways, dual carriageways, and tunnels. We urge all
(07:20):
riders to check their vehicle against these rules before taking
to the streets, and you can find the full clear
breakdown of this on the N three to three to
two website. Now, now it's time to put our historian
hat on and look back at some milestones from this
week in motoring history. We'll start in the UK on
(07:41):
October thirteenth, nineteen eighty two, which I actually mentioned last
week a little early, but I was excited, so it
is here again. October thirteenth marked the date the Ford
Sierra officially went on sale. This car was meant to
be Fords Brave New World, placing the hugely popular, if
(08:02):
slightly dated Cortina. However, its smooth, aerodynamic jellymold styling was
considered far too futuristic for the conservative British public at
the time. Despite a slow start, the Sierra eventually became
a mainstay on British roads, selling approximately one point three
million units before its replacement by the Mondeo a little
(08:23):
later this week. On October fifteenth, nineteen ninety seven, British
engineering and a determined driver made a piece of land
speed history. On this date, the jet powered Thrust SSC,
driven by Andy Green, not only set a new world
land speed record, but became the first land vehicle in
history to officially break the sound barrier, roaring across the
(08:45):
Nevada Desert at a confirmed speed of seven hundred sixty
four point one six eight miles per hour, an incredible
achievement of British design and derring do. Finally, while hard
dates are rare in the mid century, this week falls
within the critical era of the nineteen fifties, when the
foundation of Spain's modern road network was truly established. This
(09:08):
era saw the planning and initial construction of the major
motorway arteries such as the Zaragoza Madrid Barcelona connections, which
were instrumental in shifting Spain from a regional road system
to a nationwide transport powerhouse, a change that ultimately paved
the way for the road network we drive on today,
and that brings us to the end of this week's
(09:28):
N three three to two Driving in Spain podcast. We've
covered major changes coming to Spanish driver training, a vital
safety warning about tire condition in the UK, and significant
potential changes to driving law for older motorists. All the
essential information on the new technical requirements for escooters in
(09:49):
Spain is available for you to read and download on
our website right now. A massive thank you for tuning in.
You can always find more details on everything we've discussed in,
including links to the official sources and the full text
of our feature article on the N three three two website.
Please remember to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite
(10:11):
platform to ensure you never miss an episode. And if
you found this information useful, please do leave us a review.
Until next week, Drive safely wherever you are and Pastor Luego.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
That was the N three three to two Driving in
Spain podcast presented by Mark Nolan. My name is Lily.
If you want to know how we use AI in
these productions, you can find out all about it on
the website N three three two dot e sc you
next time
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