Safety advice for walking along busy roads

[HelenvE]

We are planning our first Camino (CF) for April to May 2014. Coming from Australia where we drive on the left side of the road, I do feel a bit nervous about heavy and fast traffic, and crossing busy roads, particularly when we are tired and the automatic reflex to look left then right could be very dangerous! (On a previous trip to Europe, I stepped in front of a bicycle because I looked the wrong way. They were understandably not happy with me and shouted abuse, and I ended up apologising profusely and with a nasty bruise...) Anyway, visions of stepping out in front of an oncoming car or truck are pretty scary. Is there a lot of walking along busy roads? Any strategies others have used to make sure they are safe on these stretches?
Thanks for your help. This is a wonderful forum of wise advice.
Buen Camino.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

There is some busy road walking, and a fair amount of country road walking. Spanish law requires a high visibility vest or jacket when walking on a road. Walk on the left facing traffic (which also is the law). There are several signs along the way that say this, but I have seen pilgrims walking on both sides as they passed the signs! Interestingly, Spanish pilgrims seem to be the biggest scofflaws. They walk like they drive -- wherever they want, down the middle if it suits them.

 

[tyrrek]

Hi! I'm going to say pretty much the opposite of Falcon! I can't think of many places where you walk for a significant length of time on a major road. Usually it's on a separate path running alongside but separated from the road by a drainage ditch or similar. Occasionally you do have to cross the road, but if it's a seriously busy one there's usually a footbridge or tunnel. There are warning signs on the route that warn you when you're approaching a significant road crossing.

Exceptions are the section just after Valcarlos if taking that route between SJPP and Roncesvalles, and perhaps the section just after Villafranca d.B. depending which route you take. I think the horrific road bridge on the stage leading into Leon can now be avoided by using a new footbridge, but someone correct me if I'm wrong.

In cities you'll obviously have to cross streets all the time, but as you're aware of the left/right hand drive issue it's just a case of getting into the habit of really taking your time. I also removed my sun hat as the brim obscured my vision a bit. Removing iPods etc would probably be wise too.

Buen Camino!

 

[scruffy1]

There will be many days in which you will not even see a car, comforting, but adding to your L/R confusion should one appear. Should you hear a car incessantly sounding its horn do not be irritated, it’s the country baker bringing bread to the villages. In Galicia its often the fish monger with all sorts of creatures from hake to whiting to often shrimp and whole octopus or perhaps fresh fruit and vegetables. Do stick your nose in the back of the van and see what is offered

 

[NicoZ]

(On a previous trip to Europe, I stepped in front of a bicycle because I looked the wrong way. They were understandably not happy with me and shouted abuse, and I ended up apologising profusely and with a nasty bruise...) Anyway, visions of stepping out in front of an oncoming car or truck are pretty scary. Is there a lot of walking along busy roads? Any strategies others have used to make sure they are safe on these stretches?
.

I'm not sure why you apologize. Pedestrians have all the right to be protected. Everybody else should watch out for pedestrians. Kids run out from between parked cars. The bigger the vehicle the more it has to pay attention.


If you're walking on the road walk facing traffic. Always see the cars coming at you. A bright coloured backpack can help. Some suggest reflective tape.

 

[Tia Valeria]

It is easy to buy simple reflective vests in Spain and they are fairly cheap. As another post says they are obligatory on certain roads for pedestrians (and on all roads I believe after dark outside of towns). We wore ours on some roads for a greater sense of safety even when not legally needed.

 

[scruffy1]

PS A private message arrived asking me to expand somewhat on my previous comment and will lead to another phenomena concerning the automobile on the Camino. "Why the infernal racket of these cars" was asked. The socio-economic situation in Spain, even before the current crisis led to many if not most young people to leave the villages. Today those left behind are well past retirement age. They rise early and are always always very busy until at least midmorning-dustrags flying, window sills sparkling, laundry done and the floor sparkling. However many take a little break leading to a catnap over a cuppa while others don't hear so well so if the bread guy comes say at 1000 he must insure that everyone knows he has arrived;
Continuing on, Sunday morning in the village a long line of cars leads into even the smallest places, children and grandchildren coming to bring Granny into town for lunch. Those who "made" it in their BMW (now somewhat rare, those less successful in a Skoda, and those, well the rest, in their Seat. From 1330 the tide is reversed and they all come back again since Granny wants her siesta - at home.
These are wonderful elderly people, usually ready for a chinwag should you have enough Spanish, kind and pious. I, who am not so pious and indeed not even Christian, always enjoy these conversations and through them I have amassed a rather alarming number of Immaculate Mary medals given to me from these people to help me along the way, kindly given and gratefully accepted.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Women touting for customers on a rural highway outside Els Alamus near Lleida in Catalonia have been told to don the yellow fluorescent bibs or pay fines of 40 euros (£36) under road traffic laws.

Police claim the sex workers on the LL-11 road are not being specifically targeted because of what they do but because they posed a danger to drivers.

The prostitutes are in breach of 2004 law which states pedestrians on major highways and hard shoulders must wear the high visibility garments.

A spokesman for the regional police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra said: "In the past couple of months the prostitutes have been fined for two reasons: for not wearing the reflective jacket and for creating danger on the public highway."

I hope pilgrims wearing high visibility garments are not mistakenly identified...

 

[lettinggo]

Hola

In April/May daylight should not be a problem, but bring a couple of small bicycle LED blinking lamps.
Hang on the back of the pack when you walk early morning or evening and they don't weight much.

As others have stated:
Walk against traffic most of the time.
Uphill and downhill you sometimes, if it's safe to cross the road, want to be on the other side when you are entering a left turn. You rarely want to walk against oncoming traffic 'around' a corner without visibility to see what traffic is approaching (As they cannot see you as well).

Buen Camino
Lettinggo

 

[Tia Valeria]

Lettinggo, as far as we understood it it isn't a legal requirement for these jackets/vests just after dark but also in poor visibility - fog, mist, pouring rain etc which can happen in April/May quite easily.
We also had a bright yellow hi-vis strip of 4 flashing led lights each, but they were extra. I hung mine off my pack chest strap and Terry had his on the back of his pack (both without lights) to show up whenever we were on a road, without having to stop and put them on.

 

[lettinggo]

Thank you Tia,

As far as I know you are right.
Cars, bicycles, pedestrian has to use own judgments about weather conditions and when to respond accordingly.
If in bad visibility, day or night, one has to make precautions to become visible.
When I have walked the Caminos I have most of the time had reflective stripes around my angles.
Not only do they make me more visible, but they also prevent mud and water from entering.
My suggestion about the LED lamps were only meant to direct attention that simple, light weight items, can provide a better sense of security.
The front of the caravan has a white light, the back a red.
Simple

Buen Camino
Lettingo

 

[Thengel1]

This comment is almost off-topic,, but there was one other section of road walking (other than the two Tyrrek mentioned) that I thought was pretty busy, but I can't remember for sure where it was located, and now it is bugging me.

I think it was a roughly half-kilometre stretch just past Zuriain. There was no path and almost no shoulder and the cars were moving fast. However, like I said, I could have the location wrong.

 

[Maggie97520]

I remember being in grade school and learning to look "left, then right, then left again" before crossing the road. Maybe you can make up a marching chant that goes something like this: "look to your left, your left, your left, right, left"

 

[whariwharangi]

I have had similar experience with people driving on the 'wrong' side of the road in NZ and England.

It really takes getting used to. I did some driving and was perpetually afraid that a situation would come up and I would instinctively do the automatic right thing and end up in the wrong place.

Your question was:

Is there a lot of walking along busy roads?

The short answer is no.

You will be walking on sidewalks in major cities.

The only significant stretch where you have no choice but to walk on the road shoulder is the section from Mansilla to La Virgen del Camino. There are alternatives to the section from Sahagun to Mansilla and from La Virgen del Camino to Hospital de Orbigo. All of this is the three or four days entering and leaving Leon.

A lot of the camino follows country roads barely wide enough for vehicles. It doesn't matter which side of the road you are on; watch for people who overdrive the narrow paths that wend their way through the ancient villages and farms.

There are a few short pieces that are a hazard to everyone, not just those with a tendancy to drive on the 'wrong' side. A couple that stick in my mind are:

- a short section (500m?) near Zuriain (before Pamplona) where the shoulder is barely wide enough to walk on.
- VillaFranca Montes de Oca .. at the municipal albergue the highway is too narrow for the two-way truck traffic and there is no where else to walk for a section of 50m. Be very careful here.

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

I invariably wear a fluorescent waistcoat - much to the delight of my camino 'family' who teased me unmercifully about it. I don't care - I'll be safe. 8)

If possible, ALWAYS walk on the side facing the oncoming traffic. The Spanish police have been known to stop and tell walkers on the 'wrong' side to move over. The only possible exception is when approaching a blind bend - but there aren't many really blind bends on the major roads.
Always look left, right,left and right again before crossing. You will NOT be able to remember "Er...what country am I in? Which way should I look?" before crossing a road, so ALWAYS look both ways.
Keep safe!

 

[tyrrek]

You also have to be a bit careful when you get home as you re-adjust to left hand drive again. Honestly, it's like a minefield out there. Buen Camino!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

if you do have to walk on the road, walk in the opposite direction to the cars.

As Stephen says, it is the law, not just a recommendation! There are a dozen signs along the Camino telling pilgrims to walk on the left. Of course, many Spanish do not...

 

[HelenvE]

Thanks everyone for the really helpful advice. Looks like we have another couple of items to add to the shopping list - Fluoro vests and fluoro tape for the backpacks!
Buen camino!
Helen.

 

[whariwharangi]

Thanks everyone for the really helpful advice. Looks like we have another couple of items to add to the shopping list - Fluoro vests and fluoro tape for the backpacks!
Buen camino!
Helen.

I would suggest a lime green raincoat and bright coloured clothing. Vests and tape add weight.

Most of my stuff is earth tones and I survived. There were times that I would have liked to be more visible though ... and in addition to walking narrow roads in low light conditions, there were hunters. But no need to go overboard.

 

[Maggie97520]

I got a couple of bicycle safety straps - they are incredibly light weight (not much heavier than earplugs) and strap around your ankles, arms, or you could even even attach them to your pack.

 

[HelenvE]

What great suggestions! I really like the idea of the reflective bike straps. The small bike light idea is great too - lots of cyclists in Australia wear them on their helmets and backpacks to make themselves more visible on the road when there is diminished light or at night. As I don't expect we will be walking at night (and don't plan to be among the pre-dawn departures!) probably not necessary for us but clever all the same. I think we will investigate some light weight options to increase visibility - the reflective bike straps sound like a cheap and very lightweight option. That and engaging brain before crossing roads.

 

[HelenvE]

Although.... on second thoughts, based on Falcon's advice, if the law in Spain is that you must wear a luminous vest when walking in reduced light, would this be sufficient to be compliant?

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Although.... on second thoughts, based on Falcon's advice, if the law in Spain is that you must wear a luminous vest when walking in reduced light, would this be sufficient to be compliant?

Helen - it's law to walk facing the oncoming traffic. Not to wear a fluorescent vest. *sigh*
Incidentally, my vest weighs only 131 grammes. Is that really too much extra to carry? What price safety?!
Be safe.
Buen camino!

 

[Tia Valeria]

The issue of the legal requirement for reflective jackets/vests was discussed fairly thoroughly in 2011, starting here.
http://www.caminodesantiago.me/board/equipment-questions/topic11793.html.
It is worthwhile reading.


I split ours at an angle down the sides and added tapes at the corner so that we could throw it over the pack too.. Safety pins at the top 'corners' made a box shape and stopped it flapping. Also could pin and tie if not wearing the pack.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I have a LOT of experience of this.

1) Walk on the side facing the cars --- in Continental Europe, walk on the left.

1A) Exceptions -- if the left is a wall, a cliff, a line of buildings with no sidewalk/pavement walk on the right

1B) Exceptions -- If there's a sidewalk/pavement on one side but not the other, walk on that side

1C) Exceptions -- if the left is the edge of the cliff with little protection walk on the right

1D) Generally, if one side seems less dangerous, walk on that side

1E) Exceptions -- depending on weather, advise

2) If the road is very narrow, be EXTRA careful, no matter which side you're walking -- KEEP your ears OPEN AT ALL TIMES for approaching traffic --- if you hear a heavy vehicle approaching, STOP, get as far out of its way as possible, WATCH its approach, DON'T move while it passes, keep safe

2A) After dark do this with ANY approaching traffic, even if it sounds like a single little motor scooter

3) Rest more frequently than on hiker trails -- tarmac is easy to walk on, but it's murder on the feet, knees, and back

4) Try and walk faster though -- the quicker you walk, the quicker you'll be off the tarmac

5) Keep an eye out for little shops and cafés or whatever, if you're not right out in the sticks -- they're one of the few direct advantages of tarmac over hiker trails

6) Finally, if you hit a rush hour, that looks like a good time for a break

Hope that helps

 

[t2andreo]

I walked the Camino Frances from late April to the end of May this year. Most of the days were rainy and overcast. We even had snow between Rabanal and Molinaseca (and Crux de Ferro). Several days had road-walking stretches. My advice, incorporating the other good ideas are:

1. Walk on the side of the road FACING traffic. This is opposite for my friends coming from UK Commonwealth nations, Asia and Ireland... ;-)

2. Get a pair of narrow, reflective bicycle safety straps with velcro. This should allow them to be worn on your arms. I used two on one arm (upper and lower) on the side closest to passing vehicles (My right arm). The straps can also be used for anything a velcro strap would be helpful.

3. 3M make a white reflective tape measuring 20 mm wide (3/4"), in small rolls. I got mine at the local DYI store. I cut three pieces about 6 cm (2 1/4") long and applied them to the black plastic twist fittings on each of my Leki walking poles. When the poles are being used, this creates three reflectors about 50 cm (18") apart on the poles. Weighs nothing.

When walking on the a road, as cars approached, I would "flick" my right wrist to cause the pole to swing in an arc perpendicular to the roadway. To an oncoming driver, this would appear as three flashing marks. Unless the driver is simply not looking forward, he/she WILL see the reflectors - and me. It worked every time, in all weather. Trucks and cars moved closer to or over the center line to give me, and my walking companions a wider clearance. Safe, cheap, and light.

4. Seattle Sports makes LED lights that have grippy, stretchy, rubbery mounting slings to attach to seat posts, frames, handlebars, sternum straps, daisy chains, or even heads with any elastic cord. The lights come in red or white and have a solid, slow flash, and quick flash mode. The casing is highly water resistant. Each light weighs 22 grams (0.8 ounces). I added one to each walking pole. One is white and the other is red. They can also be used as (white / red) flashlights or strobe lights. Mine cost USD 7.95, each at REI. This replaces a torch or headlight.

5. Beyond this, always walk single-file. Put the person who is most visible in the front of the queue. That was usually me. Do not bunch together. Leave perhaps 6-7 meters between each person - just in case the unthinkable happens.

Buen Camino
Tom

 

[whariwharangi]

Although.... on second thoughts, based on Falcon's advice, if the law in Spain is that you must wear a luminous vest when walking in reduced light, would this be sufficient to be compliant?

Helen - it's law to walk facing the oncoming traffic. Not to wear a fluorescent vest. *sigh*
Incidentally, my vest weighs only 131 grammes. Is that really too much extra to carry? What price safety?!
Be safe.
Buen camino!

131 g ... an extra shirt weighs the same and has more utility.

There was another thread where people cut their toothbrush in half to save weight.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

2004 law which states pedestrians on major highways and hard shoulders must wear the high visibility garments

it's law to walk facing the oncoming traffic. Not to wear a fluorescent vest.

Facing traffic and a high visibility garment are both required by law on highways and hard shoulders, presumably on the national highways and high volume local roads. Walking off-road would not seem to require a vest even in proximity to a highway.

 

[nreyn12]

This is all excellent advice...thanks to all for sharing this!

 

[supersullivan]

- VillaFranca Montes de Oca .. at the municipal albergue the highway is too narrow for the two-way truck traffic and there is no where else to walk for a section of 50m. Be very careful here.

This was the one section that I really felt very exposed on, it is very short but the volume and speed of the lorries here mean that you should be extremely careful, on the road entry into Burgos make sure you use the pedestrian crossings to be on the safe side. Other than that I found that of course it made sense to walk, as you should anyway, on the side facing oncoming traffic so you could step off the tarmac if the need arose. As i took the lesser travelled variations whenever I could, some of the other mentioned problem areas are beyond my own experience to comment on.

Buen camino

Seamus