Background of the Road Safety Law
The history of road safety in Spain has evolved over the years, marked by advances and challenges in traffic regulation and the protection of road users. From the earliest traffic regulations to the present day, various measures have been implemented to ensure a safe environment on our roads . In fact, road safety has become a priority issue on the political and social agenda, recognizing the need to protect the lives of those who travel on the roads. Promoting responsible behavior, complying with traffic regulations, and improving road infrastructure are fundamental pillars in the quest to reduce accidents and preserve the safety of citizens.Updated Road Safety Law: Recent Amendments
As we mentioned, in recent years, significant changes have been made to the Spanish Road Safety Law with the aim of improving the protection of all road users and reducing the traffic accident rate. The latest amendment took place in March 2022 and placed greater emphasis on penalty points depending on the offense committed. In most cases, the number of points lost was increased. However, there were also other changes that were not without social debate. The objectives of the updates:- Increase road safety.
- Reduce road accidents.
- Promote compliance with traffic regulations.
- Strengthening penalties for offending drivers.
- Increased speed control through radar and detection technology.
- Overtaking cyclists : On roads with more than one lane in each direction, you must change lanes when overtaking cyclists.
- Overtaking : The speed limit for overtaking on conventional roads is no longer exceeded by 20 km/h.
- Alcoholock : Mandatory for vehicles used for passenger transport.
- Update of regulations on child restraint systems and protective helmets .
- Introduction of new road safety education measures in driver training .
Impact of updates on road safety
If we go back to the beginning of the accident data in Spain, in the period 1993-2022, conventional national roads have accumulated between 72% and 80% of the total number of people killed on our roads. The modifications that have been made over the last 10 years, as we say, have objectively improved the protection of drivers and pedestrians on Spanish roads. This updated Road Safety Law has proven to have a positive impact on the reduction of traffic accidents , although on major national holidays (Constitution Day, Easter, summer vacations, etc.) unfortunately there are still spikes and painfully high fatal accident figures. Analysis of the effectiveness of the new regulations But as can be seen in the following graph, since 1990, the measures implemented by the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) have significantly reduced the number of fatalities during periods of high travel traffic, such as summer. In 1991 , a total of 1,276 deaths were recorded on our country's roads ; last year, in 2023 , there were 234 , seven more than the previous year and 43 more than the worst summer on record, in 2020.
Following the implementation of the recent updates to the Road Safety Law, a comprehensive analysis has been conducted to assess the effectiveness of the new regulations in reducing traffic accidents and improving road safety in Spain.
- A progressive decrease has been observed in the number of road accidents , especially those categorized as serious.
- The implementation of stricter measures has helped raise drivers' awareness of the importance of respecting traffic rules.
More statistics on traffic accidents in Spain
From 1990 to mid-2012 , continued progress in road safety in Spain resulted in recurring annual declines in fatal road accidents . However, over the past decade , road fatalities have not been further reduced, with some cases having increased due to recently designated bridges. This fact, despite the updated Road Safety Law, is of great concern to institutions, which continue to launch aggressive awareness-raising campaigns to mitigate such increases.
Over the past 10 years , improvement has stagnated:
Interurban Roads Regarding interurban roads, the greatest danger comes from conventional roads . The difference in accidents compared to those on roads such as motorways and dual carriageways is more than considerable:
Source: Ministry of the Interior[/caption]
Meanwhile, traffic accidents on urban roads (within urban centers) resulting in fatalities are less than half those on interurban roads. Since 2003, which was the deadliest year on record with 919 fatalities, to the present day with fewer than 500, there has been a notable improvement.
Motorcyclists and cyclists
The data for the last year, 2023, have not been as good as expected. Quite the opposite, in fact, as we have been saying. The same number of deaths as in 2022 (1,145), of which 299 were motorcyclists , 19% more than the previous year, a truly bad and worrying figure. For the vice president of the Motera Platform for Road Safety and the International Union for the Defense of Motorcyclists (IMU), “ it was a major mistake to allow holders of a B license for 3 years to ride 125 cc motorcycles .” Cyclists There is also bad news regarding the evolution of cyclists killed on Spanish roads. 2022 was the deadliest year on record. 81 people lost their lives in accidents on urban and interurban roads. A vulnerable profile is that of bicycle users, which this updated Road Safety Law seeks to protect further with the obligation to change lanes when overtaking them on roads with more than one lane per road.
Source: Ministry of the Interior[/caption]
Measures to be adopted in 2024 to promote road safety
The priorities being strengthened based on annual road safety data are aimed at drivers such as motorcyclists , who have high accident mortality rates ; also at important issues such as improving road exits and raising awareness about their dangers, as well as continuing to focus on distractions and drowsiness at the wheel , which cause a large proportion of accidents on our roads. It goes without saying that combating driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs remains an absolute priority. Accident rates among motorcyclists are a constant concern for the Ministry of the Interior, which is why work is being done on measures to address their high accident rate . Measures such as the mandatory use of a full-face or modular helmet and approved gloves whenever driving on the road, or requiring drivers with a B license and three years' experience to take a specific course to be able to operate a motorcycle up to 125 cc. In the points recovery courses, there will be sections of content exclusively aimed at motorcyclists , to promote safe and efficient driving.Recommendations for drivers and competent authorities
- Always respect the established speed limits , especially in urban areas and on dangerous sections of the road.
- Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles and be alert to road conditions.
- Conduct regular vehicle checks to ensure proper operation and prevent potential mechanical failures that could lead to accidents.
- The competent authorities recommend intensifying surveillance and control at areas with the highest incidence of accidents , as well as continuing to promote awareness and road safety education campaigns aimed at the public.
- Furthermore, it is essential to promote collaboration between different institutions and organizations to comprehensively address road safety challenges and work together toward the goal of reducing accidents on Spanish roads.
