September 28, 2025 • 7 mins
This week on the N332 Driving in Spain Podcast, Mark Nolan delivers urgent safety information and traffic alerts as Spain heads into autumn. We dissect the DGT’s latest, worrying statistics showing that vulnerable road users now account for half of all road fatalities, underscoring the vital need to eliminate distraction, alcohol, and speed.
A critical warning is issued regarding the EU’s new Entry-Exit System (EES), scheduled for a phased rollout starting October 12th, which is set to fundamentally change how non-EU citizens cross the border, with potential for significant travel delays.
We also detail the DGT’s forthcoming national School Transport Safety Campaign, which will see intensified checks on buses, drivers, and seatbelt compliance in November.
Finally, Mark covers essential autumn driving tips, from checking your tyres and wipers to extreme vigilance around schools, and we close with a trip through Spanish motoring history. All safety documents discussed this week are available for read on the N332 website.
For more updates, visit Mark Nolan's Podcast!
A critical warning is issued regarding the EU’s new Entry-Exit System (EES), scheduled for a phased rollout starting October 12th, which is set to fundamentally change how non-EU citizens cross the border, with potential for significant travel delays.
We also detail the DGT’s forthcoming national School Transport Safety Campaign, which will see intensified checks on buses, drivers, and seatbelt compliance in November.
Finally, Mark covers essential autumn driving tips, from checking your tyres and wipers to extreme vigilance around schools, and we close with a trip through Spanish motoring history. All safety documents discussed this week are available for read on the N332 website.
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 to three to
two Driving in Spain podcast, your essential weekly guide to
road safety, traffic law and motoring life on the Iberian
Peninsula and beyond. I'm Martin Nolan, and this week we're
diving into some crucial information you need to hear, particularly
as we transition fully into the autumn season. We've got
(00:28):
a detailed look at the dgt's renewed focus on safety
around schools, including a major epcoming campaign targeting school transport.
We'll also be looking at the latest sobering statistics regarding
vulnerable road users in Spain and a very important traffic
alert concerning the EU's new border control system EES, which
(00:49):
is about to start its roll out. Finally, we'll take
a trip through the rear view mirror for our weekly
look at motoring history. First, though, let's get into the headline,
starting with two expanded stories that are shaping the roads
this week. The first story this week is a start
reminder from the DGT about where the real dangers lie
on Spain's roads. Latest figures show that tragically vulnerable road
(01:14):
users now account for a full fifty percent of all
road deaths in Spain. That's half of all fatalities being
motor cyclists, pedestrians and cyclists. In urban areas, the picture
is even more acute, with eighty percent of deaths being
among vulnerable groups. The factors causing this are depressingly familiar.
(01:37):
Distraction is the number one cause in fatal accidents, present
in nearly a third of all cases, followed closely by
alcohol and then speed. This isn't just a statistic, it's
a huge alert for every single driver. You simply cannot
afford to take your focus off the road, particularly in
towns and cities. Now, for anyone driving or traveling between
(01:59):
the UK and the showngen area, this next story is critical.
We have an official start date for the phased introduction
of the European Union's new Entry Exit System or EES,
starting on the twelfth of October twenty twenty five. If
you're a non EU citizen, this new digital border control
will require you to register biometric data that's fingerprints and
(02:22):
a face scan on your first entry. Operators at key
crossing points such as Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover
have been scrambling to prepare. Eurotunnel, for example, has invested
heavily in new bespoke lanes and kiosks, but despite a
phased rollout designed to avoid chaos, there are real fears
(02:42):
that the time it takes to process families and multiple
passengers at these kiosks could lead to massive queues and
serious delays at border controls, especially at peak times. If
you're traveling, particularly with a car, in November, be sure
to check the latest advice from your ferry a tunnel
operator and prepare for potential delays. The theme of vulnerability
(03:06):
continues this week as we've uploaded three crucial documents to
the n three to three to two website for you
to read, all focusing on seasonal safety and in particular
the safety of children. Firstly, a new advisory on the
school transport safety campaign. The DGT and the Guadia Civil
(03:27):
will be running an intense national monitoring campaign on school
buses from the tenth to the fourteenth of November. Officers
will be checking everything from vehicle documents and technical standards
to driver licenses and rest times. A major point of
emphasis will be the use of seat belts. Where they
are fitted, they must be used, as studies show they
(03:49):
can reduce fatal injuries by up to ninety percent. Crucially,
remember that ninety percent of incidents involving school buses happen
when children are getting on or offs. Be extra careful
around bus stops. Secondly, we have a detailed piece on
driving in Spain this autumn, which is all about preparing
(04:11):
for the changing conditions. As the weather gets wetter, you
need to check your cars basics, wipers, fluid and most importantly,
your tires. The legal tread depth is one point six millimeters,
but more is safer in the rain, which dramatically increases
stopping distances and the risk of aquaplaning near schools. The
(04:32):
message is simple, slow down, obey those reduced limits, which
are often twenty or thirty kilometers per hour, and watch
out for children hidden by backpacks or umbrellas. Finally, a
look ahead to building safe habits for the school year.
Road safety isn't just about September, It's a year round commitment.
(04:52):
This article highlights future risks like Halloween, where children in
dark costumes are distracted and excited, and the busy Christmas
and Three Kings period which brings crowded streets high traffic
and increased risk of theft. The advice is simple, slow down,
be vigilant, and never leave valuables visible in your car.
(05:13):
Now for our historical segment, taking a look back at
the week of the thirtieth of September to the sixth
of October, my focus remains primarily on Spain, and in
this early autumn period we don't often find a single
definitive moment, but rather the continuation of traditions that shaped
Spanish motoring. The week itself falls around the time of
(05:34):
major European classic and historic events such as the Grand
Premio Nuvolari. These open road races, though not always held
in Spain, were part of the continental motoring culture that
inspired Spanish drivers, engineers, and early race promoters. Furthermore, October
always brings us closer to the historical roots of the
(05:55):
Spanish Grand Prix, which is one of the oldest motor
races still on the Calor, first run way back in
nineteen thirteen. While the modern race dates have shifted, the
legacy of that event and the various circuits it has
used over the century is a testament to Spain's long
standing passion for automotive speed technology. And competition. It's a
(06:16):
great chance to reflect on how far we've come from
the earliest Grand Prix circuits to the advanced road safety
campaigns of today, and that brings us to the end
of this week's episode of the N three three to
two Driving in Spain Podcast. Please remember to check the
website N three three two dot ees for those safety
(06:39):
articles on the dgt's School Transport campaign, Autumn driving and
our look ahead at Festive Safety. Thank you for tuning in,
Please subscribe, leave us a review and tell your friends
drive safely, Slow down and we'll catch you next week
on the N three three to two Driving in Spain podcast.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
That was the N three three to two Arriving in
Spain podcast, presented by Mark Nolan. My name is Lily,
the most cleverest member of the team with a big
computer brain. 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 S.
(07:20):
See 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 to three to
two Driving in Spain podcast, your essential weekly guide to
road safety, traffic law and motoring life on the Iberian
Peninsula and beyond. I'm Martin Nolan, and this week we're
diving into some crucial information you need to hear, particularly
as we transition fully into the autumn season. We've got
(00:28):
a detailed look at the dgt's renewed focus on safety
around schools, including a major epcoming campaign targeting school transport.
We'll also be looking at the latest sobering statistics regarding
vulnerable road users in Spain and a very important traffic
alert concerning the EU's new border control system EES, which
(00:49):
is about to start its roll out. Finally, we'll take
a trip through the rear view mirror for our weekly
look at motoring history. First, though, let's get into the headline,
starting with two expanded stories that are shaping the roads
this week. The first story this week is a start
reminder from the DGT about where the real dangers lie
on Spain's roads. Latest figures show that tragically vulnerable road
(01:14):
users now account for a full fifty percent of all
road deaths in Spain. That's half of all fatalities being
motor cyclists, pedestrians and cyclists. In urban areas, the picture
is even more acute, with eighty percent of deaths being
among vulnerable groups. The factors causing this are depressingly familiar.
(01:37):
Distraction is the number one cause in fatal accidents, present
in nearly a third of all cases, followed closely by
alcohol and then speed. This isn't just a statistic, it's
a huge alert for every single driver. You simply cannot
afford to take your focus off the road, particularly in
towns and cities. Now, for anyone driving or traveling between
(01:59):
the UK and the showngen area, this next story is critical.
We have an official start date for the phased introduction
of the European Union's new Entry Exit System or EES,
starting on the twelfth of October twenty twenty five. If
you're a non EU citizen, this new digital border control
will require you to register biometric data that's fingerprints and
(02:22):
a face scan on your first entry. Operators at key
crossing points such as Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover
have been scrambling to prepare. Eurotunnel, for example, has invested
heavily in new bespoke lanes and kiosks, but despite a
phased rollout designed to avoid chaos, there are real fears
(02:42):
that the time it takes to process families and multiple
passengers at these kiosks could lead to massive queues and
serious delays at border controls, especially at peak times. If
you're traveling, particularly with a car, in November, be sure
to check the latest advice from your ferry a tunnel
operator and prepare for potential delays. The theme of vulnerability
(03:06):
continues this week as we've uploaded three crucial documents to
the n three to three to two website for you
to read, all focusing on seasonal safety and in particular
the safety of children. Firstly, a new advisory on the
school transport safety campaign. The DGT and the Guadia Civil
(03:27):
will be running an intense national monitoring campaign on school
buses from the tenth to the fourteenth of November. Officers
will be checking everything from vehicle documents and technical standards
to driver licenses and rest times. A major point of
emphasis will be the use of seat belts. Where they
are fitted, they must be used, as studies show they
(03:49):
can reduce fatal injuries by up to ninety percent. Crucially,
remember that ninety percent of incidents involving school buses happen
when children are getting on or offs. Be extra careful
around bus stops. Secondly, we have a detailed piece on
driving in Spain this autumn, which is all about preparing
(04:11):
for the changing conditions. As the weather gets wetter, you
need to check your cars basics, wipers, fluid and most importantly,
your tires. The legal tread depth is one point six millimeters,
but more is safer in the rain, which dramatically increases
stopping distances and the risk of aquaplaning near schools. The
(04:32):
message is simple, slow down, obey those reduced limits, which
are often twenty or thirty kilometers per hour, and watch
out for children hidden by backpacks or umbrellas. Finally, a
look ahead to building safe habits for the school year.
Road safety isn't just about September, It's a year round commitment.
(04:52):
This article highlights future risks like Halloween, where children in
dark costumes are distracted and excited, and the busy Christmas
and Three Kings period which brings crowded streets high traffic
and increased risk of theft. The advice is simple, slow down,
be vigilant, and never leave valuables visible in your car.
(05:13):
Now for our historical segment, taking a look back at
the week of the thirtieth of September to the sixth
of October, my focus remains primarily on Spain, and in
this early autumn period we don't often find a single
definitive moment, but rather the continuation of traditions that shaped
Spanish motoring. The week itself falls around the time of
(05:34):
major European classic and historic events such as the Grand
Premio Nuvolari. These open road races, though not always held
in Spain, were part of the continental motoring culture that
inspired Spanish drivers, engineers, and early race promoters. Furthermore, October
always brings us closer to the historical roots of the
(05:55):
Spanish Grand Prix, which is one of the oldest motor
races still on the Calor, first run way back in
nineteen thirteen. While the modern race dates have shifted, the
legacy of that event and the various circuits it has
used over the century is a testament to Spain's long
standing passion for automotive speed technology. And competition. It's a
(06:16):
great chance to reflect on how far we've come from
the earliest Grand Prix circuits to the advanced road safety
campaigns of today, and that brings us to the end
of this week's episode of the N three three to
two Driving in Spain Podcast. Please remember to check the
website N three three two dot ees for those safety
(06:39):
articles on the dgt's School Transport campaign, Autumn driving and
our look ahead at Festive Safety. Thank you for tuning in,
Please subscribe, leave us a review and tell your friends
drive safely, Slow down and we'll catch you next week
on the N three three to two Driving in Spain podcast.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
That was the N three three to two Arriving in
Spain podcast, presented by Mark Nolan. My name is Lily,
the most cleverest member of the team with a big
computer brain. 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 S.
(07:20):
See you next time.
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