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Spanish roads claim 240 lives this summer as drink-drive crackdown is proposed
Record travel figures coincided with a 4% increase in road deaths in Spain this summer
Spain has recorded a rise in road deaths this summer, with 240 people losing their lives in traffic accidents during July and August.
The figure is 10 higher than last summer, representing a 4% increase, with Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska describing the latest figures as a “bad summer” for road safety.
August was particularly deadly, with 130 fatalities, 15 more than during the same month last year. July saw 110 deaths, five fewer than in 2025.
The rise in deaths came during a summer that also saw a record number of journeys, with 102 million long-distance trips made across Spain in July and August. That was 1.5% more than during the same period last year.
There was some better news when it came to serious injuries, with 926 people needing hospital treatment following road accidents. That was 10% fewer than the 1,032 people hospitalised last summer.
Deaths among vulnerable road users also fell by 12%, with the biggest improvement seen among motorcyclists. There were 54 motorcyclist fatalities, 18 fewer than last summer. According to the DGT, it was the first summer since 2014 when the average number of motorcyclists killed fell below one per day.
Marlaska also renewed his call for a much tougher drink-drive limit. He said he plans to push again for legislation reducing the permitted blood alcohol level to 0.2 grams per litre, a limit he described as effectively meaning zero alcohol before driving.
The minister pointed to figures showing that alcohol was detected in 32.4% of drivers killed during July. He argued that the figures demonstrate the serious risks associated with drinking and driving.
Young drivers are another concern, with 31 people aged between 15 and 24 killed this summer, eight more than last year. The highest number of fatalities was among those aged 45 to 54, with 49 deaths.
Seat belts also remain a major issue. A quarter of people killed in cars and vans were not wearing one when they crashed, according to the latest figures.
Conventional roads continued to account for most deaths, with 175 fatalities, representing 73% of the total. However, deaths on motorways and dual carriageways rose by 10 to 65.
The Valencian Community recorded the biggest increase in fatalities, with 12 more deaths than last summer, while Andalucia and Catalonia recorded the largest falls.
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Image: Freepik
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