As from this week, you won’t be asked to produce insurance papers anymore in Spain. But before you get excited, note the reason: Police officers can see for themselves whether a vehicle is correctly insured by consulting computer database.The measure comes from a new obligatory car insurance regulation recently approved by government ministers. The regulation states that from now on it will be up to the Guardia Civil or Police officers themselves to check that a vehicle has valid isnurance by consulting the Insured Vehicle Computer Database (FIVA).

Up no now drivers who couldn’t show their insurance papers, were fined 60 euros. This was described as “unfair”, “as you can’t expect to penalise a driver for failing to show information that the authorities already have”. Goes to show that Spain is advancing logically.