The Politics Of Speed: The motorway speed limit debate

The Spanish Government’s decision to introduce a lower speed limit on motorways as a means of cutting petrol and diesel consumption has not met with universal approval. To the voices of critics who believe it is merely a smokescreen to try and increase revenue from speeding fines now come those of business.

The reduction in the speed limit from 120 to 110 kph, to be implemented from 7 March, is intended to be a temporary measure, one to be brought in because of concerns regarding oil supply from north Africa. President Zapatero has reiterated his hope that it will indeed be temporary. However, having been introduced, might such a temporary measure, especially if it appears to be successful – in different ways – become permanent?

Tráfico, which refuses to be drawn on the savings that the speed limit change might bring about (such a technical issue is nothing to do with Tráfico), has, nevertheless, indicated that the ten kilometre reduction would “substantially” lower the severity of accidents, adding that this severity would be further reduced were the speed limit to be set at 100 kph.

From this, one can see that what is meant to be a measure introduced for a specific purpose – saving petrol – has already become the focus of debate for other matters to do with driving. It may well be that a permanent change comes about, through the back door, because of reasons unrelated to the purpose of the 110 kph limit.

The objections of business in Mallorca centre on the impact on commercial road users. The president of the association of taxi drivers has, for example, said that it will result in a loss of revenue for drivers whose journeys will now take longer. He may have a point, but taxi drivers, as well as other road users, face all manner of factors which influence journey times, especially during the main tourism season. One is the sheer volume of traffic, another is alterations to road layouts and the introduction of lower speed limits in urban areas.

In Puerto Alcúdia, as an example, the carretera (highway) that runs parallel to the coast is now, generally speaking, a slower and safer road than it used to be. Whereas one used to feel that whenever one took a car onto Mallorcan roads it was a case of dicing with the probability of accident or death, it now feels altogether safer.

The safety aspect, though, is one that clouds the issue, as it is clearly not meant to be the reason for the speed limit reduction. But if Tráfico, a far from uninfluential voice, has its way, then it is likely to become the reason, adding to the PR problem that the government faces with the implementation of the ten-kilometre cut.

In addition to the accusation that this is all just a front for bumping up revenue from fines, is a belief that the savings claimed by the government (some 1,400 million euros a year) are a fabrication. Again, there is some justification for being sceptical, as the actual amount of petrol consumed by a driver is influenced by factors other than speed alone, such as acceleration versus maintaining a cruising speed and low tyre pressures. And as for Tráfico’s argument about the severity of accidents, do ten kilometres per hour really make that much difference? You can surely be killed or badly injured at 110 kph as easily as you can at 120 kph. Or maybe you can’t be; I’ll bow to Tráfico’s expertise in the matter.

However, it’s probably worth putting this into some context. The 120 kph limit is higher than the 70 mph limit on British motorways. At 110 kph, it would be slightly lower, by a factor of 1.7 miles per hour. Objections to the reduction seem somewhat spurious, when one makes this sort of comparison. This said though, the British limit is one of the lowest in Europe, and the British transport minister, Philip Hammond, has hinted that the limit could be raised to 80 mph. And why? To increase productivity. Which brings you back to the objections from Mallorcan business.

To place the argument in a safety context, the number of deaths from road collisions in Spain is almost double that of the UK, but simply attributing these to speed is to overlook other factors, while they also overlook a downward trend in road deaths. In the Balearics, the number of deaths has fallen significantly since the turn of the century – from 149 in 2001 to 48 in 2009. The figure increased in 2010 – to 56.

But rather than speed alone, many of these were attributed to “distractions”, such as using a mobile or fiddling with a sat-nav. Reducing the speed limit might not, because of these other factors, bring about falls in road accidents. Indeed, it may mean the opposite. There was a previous cut to the speed limit, to 100 kph in the mid-70s, one that was brought in for the same reasons as the latest one – oil supply. The number of accidents increased.

The debate about the change to the speed limit should be confined to the reason for its introduction, and this alone. But if the debate is to be extended, to cover not just speed but also safety and styles of driving, then it needs to also be extended to roads other than motorways; to some of the carreteras, especially the older ones in Mallorca. It is these which are the island’s most dangerous roads.

Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.

Damned If You Do … : Road works

“Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.” An expression widely attributed to Bart Simpson, whose familial association seems apt if you side with the critics of the Homer Simpson approach to road works and traffic systems in Mallorca. As Homer once said: “If they think I’m going to stop at that stop sign, they’re sadly mistaken”.

Homer, some might suggest, appears to be in control of re-modelling the main road through Can Picafort. How to build a road with no actual road. But he’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. It wasn’t in fact Bart who first coined the expression. It was apparently an American preacher by the name of Lorenzo Dow. There are a fair number of Lorenzos knocking around in Can Pic, damning this and damning that, the main road in particular. “Dow!”, or is it “Doh!”? exclaim the Lorenzos in exasperation.

This main road, the Carretera Artà, has long been a joy of an unstable surface, crossings designed to have in mind the propelling of inattentive tourist pedestrians into orbit, and insane side roads some of which you can enter or exit, some of which you can’t. Much like other main roads on the island therefore. Far from unreasonably, the highways department wants to improve it. Something not meeting with everyone’s approval.

The road works are having a negative impact on bars and other businesses. They are making difficult the movement of residents. Thus go the criticisms. They do rather neglect the fact that building what in effect is a whole new road system, and one that is necessary, does require a bit of disruption, even if it does also mean that you can’t quite figure out how you are meant to navigate what is currently the non-road.

Why the fuss? It’s not as though as any drivers used to travelling along the whole stretch of road between Puerto Alcúdia and Can Pic these past few years won’t have already experienced exactly the same issues since the plan to re-model the whole stretch was started back in 2006. The fuss smacks of criticising anything that can be criticised. The fussers are probably the same ones who have been demanding improvements. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

Part of the reason for the fuss is the timing. Just as there is a start to the official tourism season (1 May), so also there is a start to the let’s-snarl-everything-up-by-doing-some-building-work season. Usually the first of February. Why so late, enquire the fussers. Budgets normally. Or maybe the chaps just prefer to hang around drinking beers, in a Homer style, until the Mr. Burns’s from highways appear.

What Can Pic will end up with is a system like that which has come into being in Alcúdia and Playa de Muro. Apart from a better road surface, this will mean more roundabouts. Part of the justification for the re-modelling of the main road has been improved traffic circulation. It’s spin of course, because circulation in summer is as bad as it ever was, but at least pedestrians run less risk of being mown down than previously. Well, this is the theory behind all the crossing-points. The practice is rather different, tourists traversing the road wherever is convenient, lightly-held lilos in hand which are caught on sudden gusts and plant themselves across windscreens. But at least you can’t blame the highways people for trying. Except if you’re in Can Picafort and you’re a Lorenzo.

The new roundabouts will have the added advantage of giving Trafico greater work opportunities. Currently, they have limited numbers of roundabouts in Can Pic at which to stand about looking ominous or sheltering under trees when it gets too hot. Once the new road is finished, they’ll be spoilt for choice.

And the finished road will add to the general appearance of Can Pic, just as the re-developed carretera did to Playa de Muro. When its stretch was completed in May 2009, various dignitaries turned up and one, Francina Armengol, the president of the Council of Mallorca, announced that it (the road) was “magnificent and emblematic”. Emblematic of what exactly? Tarmac?

Ah, but what we all failed to appreciate was that this was part of a different strand of tourism. Road tourism. Come to Mallorca and admire our roads. Marvel at how level they are (until a good deluge of rain or two breaks them up again). See how many crossing-points you can ignore. Be inspired by the white lines and markings that fade rapidly and have to be repainted each year (normally in June just to aid more the traffic circulation). Yes, this is it. Road tourism, a whole new type of tourism promotion. Brought to you by Homer Simpson.

Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.