Nicole King: The rain in Spain

Last week it rained, a lot. On Thursday morning, my daughter and her family were driving up a hill and were hit by a car coming down way too fast to allow for the greasy, slippery roads. Out of control, the car hit the back side of their vehicle where the babies were sitting.

No words can relay what went through my daughter’s mind as she leapt out of the car without a second thought to her own safety to check on them.  Their position was precarious enough whilst they dealt with the situation when three other cars, one after the other likewise swerved out of control, at the same bend, within no more than ten minutes.

My daughter called the police to inform them of what was happening and to suggest they put up warning signs for the cars descending that road, to put sand on the road, something, anything to address the obvious black spot.

“There’s nothing we can do” they said “They’re all idiots” “They drive like idiots; can’t they see it’s raining?”.

That very afternoon I too had to call out the local police; I too was hit by a car.

It was still pouring when I set off to record an event.  I stopped at the zebra crossing just as you come off the roundabout on the A397 Ronda Road to take the A7 towards Estepona.  Two children started to make their way across when suddenly I felt myself shunted forwards with a surprising amount of force.  I literally didn’t know what hit me.

The van behind me hadn’t seen me or the crossing, let alone the children that could have perished there and then if they’d have been even a few steps further forward.  Just the thought of what could have happened had me catatonic.

I only called the police because the other driver was French and had no local paperwork and I needed to have proof of the incident for my insurance.  The police were great and even hung around until the tow truck arrived.  I mentioned that my daughter had also had an incident that morning and he replied “They’re idiots, the lot of them.  Can’t they see it’s raining?”  He also mentioned that rainy days were amongst the worst for them to work and the busiest, precisely due to all the idiots that don’t adapt how they drive to suit the understandable adverse conditions.

We already negotiate very hazardous roads with incongruous systems in this country, such as zebra crossings placed immediately off roundabouts and main roads.  Those of us who live here know how heavy rain usually means everything floods and mayhem reigns (excuse the pun).  Add to this the many international drivers doing the craziest of things like swerving across the road to park or re-entering the main road from the exit they almost took.

The only thing left to add is: the forecast for the next few days is rain…

Be safe x