Traveling by car in Spain: how many people can be transported in a car and what are the consequences of violating the rules
Tourists planning a road trip in Spain may wonder how many people are allowed to travel in a car. It happens that on short trips you want to squeeze in order to travel in a large company, but this is dangerous for passengers and is the basis for sanctions.
You should not put younger friends or adult children on your lap or otherwise try to squeeze into a car that is not designed for many seats. Theleader.info has a detailed article on what guests and residents of Spain should know.
The Reglamento General de Circulación, the Spanish traffic law, states in Article 9: "The number of people transported in a vehicle may not exceed the number of seats."
So, if the car is designed for a driver, one passenger in the front and three in the back, no more than 5 people can ride. You also need to take into account the amount of luggage, if any. The weight of the vehicle with people and things cannot exceed the permissible limit.
If the car is overfilled by 50%, not including the driver, this is considered a very serious violation and is estimated at 500 euros.
If 50% of the maximum allowed is not exceeded, the violation will be considered minor. A fine of 80 euros will be imposed on the driver.
All passengers must wear seat belts. Those who do not fasten their seat belts due to a lack of belts will pay a fine of 200 euros. This applies, in particular, to passengers who do not have enough seats.