Lorraine Williamson
November closed with 81 road deaths across Spain, according to the latest figures from the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT). It marks a small improvement on last year – six fewer fatalities than in November 2024 – despite an uptick in mobility of more than 5%. Yet the broader picture is far from reassuring. Behind the headline decrease lies a notable shift in who is being killed and how.
The DGT confirms that vulnerable users – pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and riders of personal mobility vehicles (VMPs) – represented the sharpest rise, with six more deaths than last November. This pattern echoes a wider European trend: cities and regional roads are busier, but safety infrastructure has not kept pace with new forms of mobility.
A month shaped by dangerous impacts and preventable losses
Although overall fatalities fell, the profile of November’s crashes shows stark contrasts. F
A troubling constant remains: some deaths were preventable. Six people who died were not using basic safety equipment – four car drivers without seatbelts, plus a cyclist and a motorcyclist travelling without helmets. The DGT notes that seatbelts alone reduce the risk of death in serious crashes by up to 50%, a reminder of how small decisions can determine survival.
Mobility surges, but conventional roads remain the deadliest
Spain registered 36.4 million long-distance trips in November, continuing the post-pandemic trend of heavier road use. Even with more traffic, conventional roads – rather than motorways or autovías – remain the most dangerous.
Fatalities on high-capacity roads rose slightly (24 deaths, up from 21), but conventional roads saw a more significant improvement (57 deaths, nine fewer than last year). Despite this progress, these secondary routes still account for the vast majority of fatal crashes.
Motorcyclists and VMP riders face growing risks
Motorcyclists continue to be over-represented in fatal collisions, with 18 deaths in November, six more than last year. VMP riders – including e-scooters – also saw their worst month in the series, with two fatalities compared with none in November 2024.
Cyclist deaths fell slightly, while pedestrian fatalities remained unchanged at seven.
This rise in vulnerable road-user deaths underscores the tension between evolving mobility patterns and infrastructure designed for another era. As Spanish cities embrace micromobility, safety campaigns and enforcement lag behind.
Andalucía sees most deaths, northern regions spike
Every month tells a different regional story. In November:
-
Andalucía
recorded the highest number of fatalities (13), though this is four fewer than a year ago. -
Navarra and La Rioja
experienced the sharpest increases, both registering three more deaths than last November. -
Catalonia
saw a slight rise, while regions such as Galicia and the Balearic Islands recorded notable decreases.
These fluctuations reflect a mix of geography, travel patterns, weather and local enforcement.
Zero-death days offer a glimpse of what’s possible
Four days in November saw no fatalities at all – 4, 7, 19 and 25 November. For the DGT, these rare moments highlight what coordinated enforcement, favourable conditions and responsible behaviour can achieve.
Yet the overall monthly toll remains sobering: 76 fatal crashes, resulting in 81 deaths.
A deadly final weekend
The last weekend of November proved particularly tragic. Between Friday, 28 and Sunday, 30 November, 10 people were killed in nine separate crashes on interurban roads.
Most of the victims died on conventional roads, and half were vulnerable users – three pedestrians, one e-scooter rider and one cyclist. The weekend’s crashes included two collisions, three run-off-road incidents and three pedestrian strikes. Fatalities were recorded across the country, from Menorca and the Sierra de Granada to Madrid, Toledo and Valladolid.
More than 1,000 deaths so far this year
With the year nearly over, Spain has registered 1,024 road deaths, 30 fewer than during the same period in 2024. Although the long-term downward trend continues, progress remains fragile. Every rise in vulnerable-user deaths is a reminder of how much Spain’s road network is changing – and how quickly safety measures must adapt.
Spain’s shifting road landscape
Spanish mobility has grown more complex in recent years: heavier traffic, more motorcyclists, new micromobility vehicles, and ageing road infrastructure. November’s data reflects that complexity. Improvements in conventional road safety coexist with rising collision impacts and a worrying surge in vulnerable-user casualties.
As Spain moves into the holiday season – historically one of the busiest periods for travel – authorities will be watching closely. The challenge now is to ensure that falling fatality figures are not a statistical anomaly, but the beginning of a more resilient and modern road-safety framework.
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