Lorraine Williamson
The Spanish traffic authority has launched a nationwide crackdown on driving distractions in Spain, warning that inattentive driving remains the leading cause of fatal road accidents. According to the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), distractions were present in 30% of all deadly crashes in 2024, claiming 406 lives.
Starting yesterday, Guardia Civil officers — joined by local and regional police forces — will intensify roadside checks across both urban and rural routes. Automated surveillance will also play a role, with 245 cameras already monitoring drivers for mobile phone use and other risky behaviours.
Mobile phones: the number one danger
Despite years of awareness campaigns, Spain’s drivers remain alarmingly casual about using their phones behind the wheel. The DGT’s latest figures show that nearly half of all traffic fines (48.2%) issued during last year’s safety campaign were for using a mobile phone while driving — ten percentage points higher than in 2023.
International studies mirror this trend. The European Road Safety Observatory (ERSO) found that around 48% of European drivers admit to using their phones with hands-free devices, while nearly a third still hold them during calls. Even more concerning, one in four drivers confess to reading messages or scrolling social media while driving.
These seemingly brief distractions have devastating effects. Research shows distracted drivers react more slowly, swerve more often, and fail to register hazards in their surroundings. The DGT describes this as “a lethal combination of divided attention and overconfidence”.
The scale of the problem
In 2024 alone, there were 13,164 traffic incidents linked to distraction, representing 18% of all road accidents. In the case of fatal crashes, the pattern is even clearer — distraction overtakes speeding and alcohol as the most common factor.
Cristóbal Cremades, head of the Madrid Traffic Department, stressed the urgency of confronting what he called “a silent epidemic on Spanish roads”. He noted:
“Distractions are now the single most frequent contributing factor in both minor and fatal road collisions. Campaigns like this are essential to remind drivers that no message or notification is worth a life.”
Real faces behind the statistics
Adding emotional weight to the campaign, volunteers from ASPAYM, Spain’s national association for people with spinal cord injuries and physical disabilities, are once again joining traffic officers at checkpoints.
Their role is not enforcement but education. By sharing their own stories and physical presence, ASPAYM volunteers aim to confront drivers with the irreversible human cost of a moment’s inattention. The group has collaborated with the DGT since 2007 and will accompany officers this week in 17 provinces, including Málaga, Granada, Valencia, and Zaragoza.
Their message is simple: behind every statistic is a person whose life changed forever in seconds.
Europe-wide focus on distracted driving
Spain’s operation forms part of RoadPol’s “Focus on the Road” campaign, a Europe-wide initiative to reduce traffic deaths linked to driver distraction. Similar operations are taking place across EU member states, underscoring the shared challenge of balancing modern connectivity with road safety.
The DGT’s campaign runs until 12 October, with results expected later this month. But officials emphasise that the issue won’t disappear with one campaign. “This is about changing habits,” said a DGT spokesperson. “Checking your phone may feel harmless — until it isn’t.”
A call for attention
The DGT’s message is clear: driving demands full focus. In a world where our phones are constant companions, learning to disconnect — at least while driving — could save hundreds of lives each year.
As Spain heads into another busy holiday period, authorities urge drivers to keep their eyes on the road, not the screen. Distraction, they warn, is not just a lapse in concentration — it’s a choice that too often ends in tragedy.