The Guardia Civil’s Investigation and Traffic Analysis Group from Las Palmas successfully identified the ‘surfer’ driver of a vehicle who was caught on camera with either end of a surfboard sticking out both rear passenger windows of the small car he was driving down the main GC-1 highway, on the island of Gran Canaria last week, and have administratively denounced his failure to understand that his actions were illegal, based on the General Traffic Regulations.

 

Investigators analysed the video circulating on the different social networks after the surfer eager to get to the beach endangered road safety after the content, incredulously shot by another driver on March 31, came to their attention through the instant messaging system ‘WhatsApp’. The tourist carrying the surfboard in an unsafe manner, significantly projecting from either side of the vehicle, clearly constituted an infraction of road safety law.

 

Guardia Civil on Gran Canaria are looking for the driver of a car, heading south on the main GC1 motorway, who appears to have misunderstood the requirements for carrying a surfboard in a small car…

Posted by TheCanary.TV on Friday, April 2, 2021

This prompted them to carry out an investigations in light of the attention the video had generated, and the agents were able to locate the vehicle and identify the ‘surfer’ driver, verifying that the small car belonged to a rental vehicle company and the driver was a Belgian tourist who had come to Gran Canaria on vacation, according to the Guardia Civil in a press release.

After locating and identifying him, the tourist was notified of the corresponding administrative offence, and acknowledged the facts, collecting a copy of the complaint against him in person, as he is not a resident of Spain.

The images were taken on the GC-1, heading south, at the section between the Gran Canaria Airport and the exit to Carrizal de Ingenio.

Drivers are also reminded that you can be fined for even touching your mobile phone whilst in charge of a moving vehicle, so the driver who caught this video may also find themselves being cautioned if it becomes clear who it was who made the video.  All concentration should be on the road while driving, if you need to capture an image you should either have a passenger to it, or make sure you are using a proper dashcam set up, so that you do not need to hold your mobile while driving.