Interview with Mónica Falgueras, triathlete and traffic police

Today we are going to meet Mónica Falgueras, a triathlete and civil traffic police who will advise us on how to drive better and also on some of the most common infractions carried out by cyclists and triathletes.

Monica Falgueras has been almost 10 years in the triathlon, belongs to the Club triathlon Clavería Móstoles and his profession is a civil traffic warden. His coach is Joaquín Peces and is current champion of Ecotrimad and third in the general of the Cup de Spain de Media and Long Distance.

 As a cyclist she is triple Spanish champion against the clock and en route in the last three seasons. She also stands out for being the only woman to participate in the three editions of the long-distance triathlon of Madrid, in 2015 with the name of Triathlon KM0 was fourth overall. The following year she completed the same journey alone with Carlos Ramirez and in 2017 took the exit in the Challenge Madrid but he could not finish the competition.

As a civil traffic police we would like to be able to ask you for advice on how to improve traffic between cars, cyclists and pedestrians, so that we can all live together in the best way and avoid accidents.

• To begin we would like to know the type of infractions that you see in the cars, and that can harm cyclists or pedestrians
• What types of infractions are the most frequent among drivers? How do drivers have to improve?

The most frequent infractions among the drivers of the vehicles, is do not respect the safety distance of the 1,5 mts to two-wheeled vehicles, pedestrians.

Drivers, in order to improve these bad habits, should know the rules of the road well, because there are many who do not know or seem to be unaware that to overtake a bicycle can pass a continuous line, provided that there is no risk to the traffic and that they are practically obliged to invade the opposite direction to overtake, since if a lane measures between 2-2,5 mts and the width of a vehicle with the rear-view mirrors they are already more than 2 mts, for to be able to save that lateral distance of 1,5 mts with bicycles, it has to invade the opposite direction.

The second is Always travel with the least possible rush and even more when it comes to overtaking a bicycle.

What advice could you give to runners (pedestrians) and cyclists to improve road safety taking into account the infractions made by cars?

The cyclists and runners to avoid greater evils with the infractions of the vehicles and to give the greater margin of lateral distance, what they must do is to circulate as it establishes the art.38 of the RGC, lor more to the right possible: by the shoulder if there is, it is "passable and sufficient", or if not "by the essential part of the road" and avoid possible oscillations if there are potholes or little stones on the tracks.

And in the opposite case? What do we do wrong triathletes, cyclists and pedestrians?

I think that what some triathletes, cyclists or pedestrians are wrong, is think that because they are the weak ones, the vehicles are the ones that have to respect them and be careful with them, forgetting to protect one as much as possible by circulating correctly.

What fractions do you see in cyclists, things that they do wrong and are prohibited?

  The most common infractions among cyclists are not to circulate along the shoulder existing, or not to circulate the most to the right of the road, occupying great part of the roadway. Also not to circulate one by one in areas of reduced visibility

And in pedestrians?

The most common infractions in the corridors are to cross the roads in areas that are not enabled for it or with the red traffic lights.

We would also like to ask you about the use of the mobile, we see in social networks many cyclists and triathletes take pictures and use the mobile ... what do you think that people do so naturally?

The use of mobile phones is totally forbidden for cyclists, at the moment they are on the bike they are drivers and have to follow the same rules of the road.

The cyclists and triathletes who carry out this infraction to which they are exposed? Have you already been fined for it?

All cyclists who use their cell phones while on the move, are exposed in the first place to endanger both their physical integrity and that of other road users and a serious complaint of 200 euros without withdrawal of points in this case.

Could you give us some tips to improve the road safety of cyclists, triathletes and runners?

As a particular tip, I think that what we should always do is respect ourselves and the other users, putting ourselves in the other party's place, because in the end we are all at some point both drivers of vehicles, like bicycles, like pedestrians , and for this the main thing is to comply with the rules of circulation that concern us at all times and circulate with the greatest possible care so as not to endanger our physical integrity as that of other road users.

Photos provided by Mónica Falgueras