Spain’s rural and secondary roads remain the country’s deadliest routes, according to the latest road safety figures from the DGT. A total of 77 people died in 74 fatal road accidents in April, the same number as in April 2025. 

But the figure comes despite a 2.95% rise in long-distance journeys, with 40.9 million road movements recorded during the month, according to Spain’s traffic authority.

Conventional roads remain the biggest risk

The clearest warning in the April figures is where most people died.

The DGT says conventional roads accounted for 78% of all road deaths during the month. These are Spain’s non-motorway interurban roads, many of them single carriageways with junctions, bends, slower vehicles and overtaking risks.

In April, 60 people died on conventional interurban roads, compared with 17 on motorways and dual carriageways. The figures were unchanged from the same month last year.

For drivers, the message is familiar but important. Spain’s smaller roads can be scenic and convenient, but they also carry a higher risk when speed, overtaking, fatigue or poor visibility are involved.

DGT VAO lane fines: why solo drivers risk €200 on some Spanish roads

May puente brought nine more deaths

The latest DGT balance also includes the May 1 holiday traffic operation.

Between 3.00 pm on Thursday, 30 April, and midnight on Sunday, 3 May, nine people died in eight fatal crashes on interurban roads during the Labour Day puente.

Seven of those deaths happened on conventional roads. Six of the nine people killed were vulnerable road users: two pedestrians and four motorcyclists.

The fatal crashes took place in several provinces, including Alicante, Barcelona, Cádiz, Cuenca, Lleida and Málaga. The Málaga case was recorded in Mijas.

Cyclist deaths rise in April

The DGT also highlighted an increase in cyclist fatalities compared with April last year.

While the overall number of vulnerable road users killed remained unchanged, cyclist deaths rose by six year-on-year. The DGT did not present that as a separate trend, but it will add to concern as warmer weather brings more cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians onto Spain’s roads.

The figures also show that nine of those killed were not using the required safety device. Six car drivers were not wearing seatbelts, while two cyclists and one motorcyclist were not wearing helmets.

More crashes involving collisions

The type of fatal accident also changed in April.

Deaths from vehicles leaving the road fell to 24, seven fewer than in April 2025. However, deaths from frontal, rear-end and multiple collisions rose to 28, nine more than the same month last year.

That detail matters because collisions are often linked to common driving risks: misjudged overtaking, distraction, speed, tailgating or sudden braking.

What drivers in Spain should take from the figures

The April data is not just a monthly count. It is a reminder of where everyday risk sits on Spanish roads.

Motorways may feel more intimidating to some drivers, especially around major cities. Yet the figures continue to show that conventional roads are where the majority of fatal crashes occur.

The DGT’s latest balance also lands just as Spain moves towards busier summer roads. More tourist traffic, motorbikes, cyclists, hire cars and weekend journeys will all add pressure in the months ahead.

A safer summer depends on ordinary choices

So far this year, 278 people have died on Spanish roads, which is 65 fewer than during the same period last year. That is an improvement, but April’s figures show how quickly the picture can change.

For residents, tourists and regular road users, the practical lesson is simple. Slow down on secondary roads, avoid risky overtaking, take breaks, wear seatbelts and helmets, and treat familiar routes with the same caution as unfamiliar ones.

Spain’s road deaths are not only a statistic. They are a warning before the busiest travel months of the year.