*Country Profile

Spain

ROAD SAFETY

This document is part of a series of 30 country profiles: one for each Member Stateof the EU 27 and three EFTA countries (Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland). The
purpose of this series is to provide an overview of the road safety situation in a specificcountry.
Contract:

This document has been prepared in the framework of the EC
Service Contract MOVE/C2/SER/2022-55/SI2.888215 with
National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), SWOV Institutefor Road Safety Research and Kuratorium für Verkehrssicherheit(KFV).

Version:February 8, 2024

Authors:

Katerina Folla, Konstantinos Kaselouris (NTUA)Internal Reviewer:

Ingrid van Schagen, Govert Schermers (SWOV)

Referencing:

Reproduction of this document is allowed with due
acknowledgement. Please refer to the document as follows:
European Commission (2023), Country Profile Spain. Road
SafetyObservatory.
Brussels,
EuropeanCommission,
Directorate General for Transport.

Disclaimer
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the matter presented in thisdocument is relevant, accurate and up to date, the (sub)contractors cannot accept
any liability for any error or omission, or reliance on part or all of the content inanother context.
Any information and views set out in this document are those of the author(s) and do
not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the European Commission. The
Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this study.
Neither the Commission nor any person acting on the Commission’s behalf may beheld responsible for the use that may be made of the information contained therein.

© European Commission, 2023.The EU does not own the copyright in relation to thefollowing elements:- Cover page photos, © www.shutterstock.com

C ount ry Profi leSpainContents
1.

Highlights ........................................................................... 4

2.

Road Safety Outcomes ......................................................... 5

3.

4.

5.

6.

2.1

Road Safety Trends ......................................................... 5

2.2

Risk Figures .................................................................... 6

2.3

Transport Mode ............................................................... 7

2.4

Age and Gender .............................................................. 9

2.5

Area and Road Type ....................................................... 11

2.6Time Period ................................................................... 12

2.7

Lighting and Weather Conditions ...................................... 13

Safety Performance Indicators .............................................. 14
3.1Road User Behaviour ...................................................... 14

3.2

Vehicle Safety ................................................................ 15

3.3

Enforcement .................................................................. 15Road Safety Policy and Measures .......................................... 16
4.1

National Road Safety Strategy.......................................... 16

4.2

Traffic Laws and Regulations ............................................ 16

4.3

Driving Licences ............................................................. 174.4Road Infrastructure ........................................................ 18

Structure and Culture .......................................................... 19
5.1Country Characteristics ................................................... 19

5.2

Structure of Road Safety Management .............................. 20

5.3

Self-declared behaviour & Attitudes .................................. 21

Notes ................................................................................ 22
6.1

Data Sources ................................................................. 22

6.2

Definitions ..................................................................... 24

3

C ount ry Profi leSpain

1. Highlights
Road Safety Outcomes• In 2021, 1,533 people were killed and 7,784 people wereseriously injured in road crashes in Spain.
• Spain is 7th out of 27 EU countries in terms of the lowest numbersof fatalities per million inhabitants.
• Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Spainshows a relatively high proportion of powered two-wheelers andfatalities that occur on motorways.
• Over the period 2012-2021, fatalities in Spain decreased lessthan in the EU.
Road Safety Performance Indicators• The use rates of seat-belts and helmet are better compared to
the EU, whilst the use rates of Child System Restraints are worse.
• Self-reported drink-driving is higher than the EU average.
• The Spanish passenger car fleet is somewhat older than the EU
average.
Road Safety Policy Measures & Country Characteristics• In 2021, Spain became the first country in the world to implement
30 km/h as the speed limit on streets with only one lane in eachdirection.
• The maximum speed on motorways is 120 km/h, which is lower
than in most EU countries (130 km/h).
• Motorway density in Spain is higher than the EU average.

4

C ount ry Profi leSpain

2. Road Safety Outcomes
2.1 Road Safety Trends
In Spain, 1,533 people were killed and 7,784 people were seriously
injured in road crashes in 2021 a. Over the period 2012-2021, thenumber of fatalities in Spain decreased by 19%, which is lower thanthe European Union (EU) decrease (25%). The number of serious
injuries showed also a decrease over the same period (25%).
In terms of fatality rates, 32 road fatalities per million inhabitants wererecorded in 2021, which is well below the EU average (45).
Table 1. Number of fatalities and serious injuries, 2012 and 2021
Fatalities
Serious Injuries

2012
1,902
10,445

2021
1,533
7,784

Trend
-19%
-25%

EU trend-25%-

Figure 1. Mortality rate development, 2012 – 2021

Fatalities per million
inhabitants

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Spain

European Uniona

It is noted that the global COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the CARE data for2020 and 2021 for many European countries. Traffic volumes dropped sharply during
the pandemic due to traffic restrictions, which was associated with a significant drop
in road traffic crashes and fatalities.

5C ount ry Profi le

Spain

Serious injuries per million
inhabitants

Figure 2. Evolution of serious injuries per million inhabitants, 2012 2021
250
200
150
100
50
0

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Spain

2.2 Risk Figures
Figure 3. Mortality rates by country, 2021

Fatalities per million
inhabitants

100
90
80
70
60
50
40

EU = 45
32

30
20
10
0

Taking into account the number of vehicles, Spain performs better
compared to the EU average. The rate of 0.44 fatalities per 10,000
registered vehicles in Spain is much lower than the EU average of 0.63.

6

C ount ry Profi leSpain

Figure 4. Fatalities per thousand registered vehicles, 2021

2.3 Transport Mode
In 2021 b, powered two-wheelers accounted for 26% of road traffic
fatalities in Spain. This percentage is higher than that observed in the
EU as a whole (19%). Cyclists on the other hand accounted for only 4%of road fatalities, which is well below the EU proportion (9%).
Over the period 2012-2021, there has been a decrease in the road offatalities in Spain for all transport modes except for powered twowheelers that went up by 7%. The highest decrease was recorded for
HGV occupants (34%). Concerning serious injuries, the highest
decrease was recorded for passenger car occupants (47%) and Lorries,
under 3.5t occupants (37%).
Of those vulnerable road users (VRUs: pedestrians, cyclists andpowered two-wheelers) that were fatally injured in Spain in crashes
involving either passenger cars or buses/coaches or lorries and heavy
goods vehicles, 67% were involved in a crash with a car, and 30% wereinvolved in a crash with a lorry or heavy goods vehicle.
Also, the number of fatalities in single vehicle crashes has decreased in
the same rate as in the European Union.

Different shares of transport modes in the casualty numbers, as shown in thissection, may reflect differences in the size of the vehicle fleet and the usage ofdifferent modes rather than a difference in safety level.
b

7

C ount ry Profi le

SpainTable 2: Number of fatalities by transport mode, 2012 and 2021
2012
3
871
74
50
98
65
370
371
1,902

Bus/coach occupants
Car occupants
Cyclists
Heavy goods vehicles
Lorries, under 3.5t
Other/unknown
Pedestrians
Powered two-wheelers
Total

2021
5
611
63
33
83
42
301
395
1,533

Trend
-30%
-15%
-34%
-15%
-36%
-19%
+7%
-19%

EU trend
+26%
-28%
-12%
-11%
-14%
-13%
-34%
-18%
-25%

Figure 5. Distribution of road fatalities by transport mode, 2021

European Union

45%

Spain

6%

40%
0%

10%

20%

8%
30%

40%

50%

19%

9%

18%

3%

26%

4%

20%

3%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Car occupants

HGVs, Lorries and buses

Powered two-wheelers

Cyclists

Pedestrians

Other/unknown

100%

Table 3: Number of serious injuries by transport mode, 2012 and 2021
Bus/coach occupants
Car occupants
Cyclists
Heavy goods vehicles
Lorries, under 3.5t
Other/unknown
Pedestrians
Powered two-wheelers
Total

2012
43
3,922
570
160
377
225
1,922
3,226
10,445

8

2021
45
2,095
713
104
239
343
1,397
2,848
7,784

Trend
+5%
-47%
+25%
-35%
-37%
+53%
-27%
-12%
-25%

C ount ry Profi le

SpainTable 4: Number of VRU fatalities in crashes involving passenger cars,
buses or coaches and lorries or heavy goods vehicles, 2012 and 2021
Crashes involving busesor coaches
Crashes involving cars
Crashes involving lorries
or heavy goods vehicles

2012

2021

Trend

EU trend

17

15

-11%

-47%

427

350

-18%

-29%

122

158

+30%

-15%

Table 5: Number of fatalities in single vehicle crashes by transportmode, 2012 and 2021
2012

Bus/coach occupants
Car occupants
Cyclists
Heavy goods vehicles
Lorries, under 3.5t
Other/unknown
Powered two-wheelers
Total

2021
1
271
17
13
28
29
185
544

3
422
10
26
36
44
181
722

Trend
-36%
+75%
-50%
-23%
-34%
+2%
-25%

EU trend
+47%
-28%
+37%
-44%
-12%
-20%
-16%
-23%

2.4 Age and Gender
The distribution of road fatalities across age groups in Spain is similar
to that of the EU, with a slightly higher share of fatalities aged 25 to 49
years old and a slightly lower share of fatalities aged 65 or over.
Fatalities and serious injuries decreased for all age groups and bothgenders, apart from the serious injuries in the male group of 50 to 64
years.
Figure 6. Distribution of road fatalities by age and gender, 2021

FemaleEuropean Union

6% 10%

23%

Spain

4% 11%

27%

0%
<18

20%
18-24

20%

40%

19%
40%

25-49

50-64

9

60%
65+

37%

1%

80%

100%

UnknownC ount ry Profi le

Spain

Male
European Union

4% 13%

36%

Spain 3% 11%

40%

0%
<18

20%
18-24

23%
26%

40%
25-49

24% 1%

60%

50-64

65+

19%
80%

100%

Unknown

Table 6: Number of fatalities by age and gender, 2012 and 2021
Female
<18
18-24
25-49
50-64
65+
Unknown
Total
Male
<18
18-24
25-49
50-64
65+
Unknown
Total

2012

2021

Trend

EU trend

28
41
116
77
183
3
448

12
36
87
61
118
4
318

-57%
-12%
-25%
-21%
-36%
-29%

-44%
-40%
-37%
-23%
-25%
-22%
-31%

57
134
665
260
322
8
1,446

39
137
485
317
230
6
1,214

-32%
+2%
-27%
+22%
-29%
-16%

-27%
-37%
-30%
-13%
-8%
-9%
-23%

Table 7: Number of serious injuries in by age and gender, 2012 and2021
Female
<18
18-24
25-49
50-64
65+
Unknown
Total

2012

2021

Trend

220
367
1,127
562
679
73
3,027

194
280
791
434
486
40
2,225

-12%
-24%
-30%
-23%
-28%
-45%
-26%

10

C ount ry Profi le

Spain

Male
<18
18-24
25-49
50-64
65+
Unknown
Total

454
901
3,756
1,261
889
105
7,365

328
673
2,468
1,327
686
64
5,546

-28%
-25%
-34%
+5%
-23%
-39%
-25%

2.5 Area and Road TypeThe majority of road fatalities in Spain occurred on rural roads (52%).
The percentage of fatalities occurred on motorways in Spain (21%) wasmuch higher than the EU average (9%). Over the period 2012-2021,
the number of fatalities and serious injuries decreased on all road types
in Spain except for fatalities on motorways. Inside urban areas there isa relatively large share of pedestrian fatalities (44% in Spain and 33%
on average in the EU) and powered two-wheelers (29% in Spain and
20% in the EU)
Table 8: Number of fatalities by road type, 2012 and 2021
2012
298
1,144
461
0
1,902

Motorway
Rural
Urban
Unknown
Total

2021
316
800
417
0
1,533

Trend
+6%
-30%
-10%
-19%

EU trend
-6%
-28%
-24%
-48%
-25%

Figure 7. Distribution of road fatalities by road type, 2021

European
Union

9%

Spain

53%
21%

0%

10%

39%
52%

20%

30%

27%

40%

50%

60%

Motorway

Rural

Urban

11

70%

80%

90%

100%

C ount ry Profi le

SpainTable 9: Number of serious injuries by road type, 2012 and 2021
Motorway
Rural
Urban

2012
1,124
4,920
4,400

2021
725
2,917
4,142

Trend
-36%
-41%
-6%

Unknown

00-

10,444

7,784

-25%

Total

Figure 8. Distribution of road fatalities inside urban areas by type oftransport mode, 2021

European
Union

28%

Spain

16%

0%

3%

3%

20%

20%

13%

29%

5%

40%

3%

33%

3%

44%

60%

80%

100%

Car occupants

HGVs, Lorries and BusesPowered two-wheelers

Cyclists

Pedestrians

Other/unknown

2.6 Time Period
The distribution of fatalities by day of the week and time of the day issimilar to that of the EU. Most fatalities occurred during working
weekdays.
Table 10: Number of fatalities by time period, 2012 and 2021

Weekend - Daytime

2012
1,042
175
475

2021
847
126
380

Trend
-19%
-28%
-20%

EU trend
-21%
-30%
-25%

Weekend - Night-time

211

180

-15%

-39%

0

0

-

-75%

1,902

1,533

-19%

-25%

Working week - Daytime
Working week- Night-time

UnknownTotal

12C ount ry Profi leSpain

Figure 9. Distribution of road fatalities by time period, 2021

European
Union

59%

Spain

55%
0%

11%
11%

23%
25%

20%
40%
Working week - Daytime

60%
80%
Working week- Night-time

Weekend - Daytime

Weekend - Night-time

7%
9%
100%

2.7 Lighting and Weather Conditions
According to the distribution of fatalities by lighting and weather
conditions, the majority of fatalities in Spain are during daylight andwith dry weather conditions. Contrary to the EU, over the period 20122021, Spain recorded an increase in crash fatalities during twilight.
During daylight and under raining conditions, road crash fatalities
decreased more than in the EU on average.
Table 11: Number of fatalities by lighting and weather conditions, 2012
and 2021
Lighting Conditions
Daylight
Twilight
Darkness
Weather Conditions
Dry
Rain
Other/Unknown

2012

2021

Trend

EU trend

1,153
92
657

912
112
509

-21%
+21%
-23%

-17%
-25%
-33%

1,656
158
88

1,157
86
290

-30%
-46%
+229%

-24%
-28%
-25%

13

C ount ry Profi leSpain

3. Safety Performance Indicators
3.1 Road User Behaviour
Table 12: Road Safety Performance Indicators, 2022 or latest available
year
Spain
Speeding% of passenger cars travelling within speed limits1
Motorways
50.8

EU

c

-

Expressways

62.5

Rural Roads

42.6

-

Urban Roads (30km/h)

32.0

-

Urban Roads (50km/h)

65.0

Seat belt & CRS use rates (%)1,2
Front

95.9

93.3

92.8

75.5

36.4

67.0

90.7

-

PTW driver

99.4

97.0

PTW passenger

96.2

94.4

52.6

37.8

17.2

11.8

90.9

94.8

Rear
Child restraint systems (roadsideobservations)Child restraint systems (in-vehicle
inspections)
Helmet use rates (%)1

Cyclist (urban roads)
DUI of Alcohol3(self-reported)% car drivers have driven at least oncein the last 30 days over the legal limit
Driver Distraction1% of drivers not using hand-heldmobile device/phone while driving d

Sources: 1Baseline project, 2ETSC (2022), 3ESRA3 project (2024), 4national sources

An EU average is not available for speeding, due to different legal speed limits among
countries, which does not allow for a straightforward comparison. Please also notethat for some Safety Performance Indicators of Section 3, the EU average is based ona small number of EU Member States with available data (see Section 6.1).
dIn the case of Spain, a broader definition of driver distraction was used: “% havingin the hand or operating with the hand a mobile phone or other electronic device(GPS, tablets, monitors, etc.), whether mobile or on-board”.
c14

C ount ry Profi leSpain

3.2 Vehicle Safety
Table 13: Vehicle Safety Performance Indicators, 2019
% of new passenger cars rated with 4
EuroNCAP stars and above1
Average age of passenger car fleet (years)2

Spain

EU

84.0

83.6

13.1

11.8

Sources: 1Baseline project, 2ACEA (2022)

3.3 Enforcement
Table 14: Number of traffic police tickets per thousand population,
2020
Tickets per 1,000 population
Speeding
Non-use of seat-belt
Illegal use of mobile phone
Driving above legal alcohol limits

Spain e
-

EU
105.4
4.2
3.2
1.7

Source: ETSC (2022)

The ticket figures do not refer to all of Spain, since the data for Catalonia, the BasqueCountry and the municipalities are not included. Therefore, ticket rates per populationfor 2020 cannot be calculated and compared with the EU average. The respective
rates of tickets per 1,000 km of network for 2020 were: Speeding: 15,279, non-use
of seat belt: 632, illegal use of mobile phone: 644 and driving above legal alcohol
limits:28,859.
e15

C ount ry Profi leSpain

4. Road Safety Policy and Measures
4.1 National Road Safety Strategy
Table 15: National road safety strategy and targets
Spain2021-2030
Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT)

Timeframe
Lead Authority
Targets
Fatalities
Serious injuries
Baseline Year

-50%, different targets in urban and non-urban areas per roaduser type-50%, different targets in urban and non-urban areas per roaduser type
2019

SPIs

Yes, for the 8 KPIs

https://seguridadvial2030.dgt.es/export/sites/sv2030/.galleries/descargas/Road_Safety_Strategy_2030_Summary_EN.pdf
Source: national sources
Link

4.2 Traffic Laws and Regulations
National road safety legislation in Spain reflects the situation in the
majority of EU countries with a few exceptions. The maximum speed
on motorways is 120 km/h, which is lower than in most countries (130km/h). In May 2021, Spain became the first country in the world toimplement 30 km/h as the speed limit on streets with only one lane ineach direction.
Table 16: National road safety legislation
Speed limits forpassenger cars (km/h)
Urban roads
Rural roads
Motorways
Allowed BAC levels (g/l)
General population
Novice drivers

Spain

Most common in EU

30
90
120

50: 26/27
90: 17/27
130: 14/27

0.5
0.3(0.0 for under 18s)

0.5: 19/27
0.2: 12/27, 0.0: 9/27

Professional drivers

0.3

Seatbelt requirement
Drivers
Front Passenger
Rear Passenger

0.2: 10/27, 0.0: 9/27,
0.5: 6/27

Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes: 27/27
Yes: 27/27
Yes: 27/27

16

C ount ry Profi le

Spain

Spain

Most common in EU

Up to 135cm

up to 135 cm: 11/27,
up to 150 cm: 11/27

Child restraint systems
CRS requiredChildren in front seats
Children on motorcycles
Helmet requirement
Powered Two Wheelers
All roads
All engines
Cyclists
Age restriction
Mobile phone use
Hand-held phone use allowed
Hands-free phone use allowed
E-scooters

Prohibited under
135cm fProhibited under 12
years (under 7 years
only if the driver is aparent/legal guardian)

Allowed in CRS: 22/27
Prohibited under certain
age/height: 18/27

Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Up to 16 years

Yes: 27/27
Yes: 27/27
Yes: 25/27
Not mandatory: 19/27
Not restricted: 16/27

No
Yes

No: 26/27
Yes: 27/27

Not restricted at
Not restricted: 9/27,
national level
Allowed from 14 years: 6/27
Max. speed limit (km/h)
25
25: 18/27
Mandatory according tolaw and pending
Helmet required
Not required: 12/27
regulatory
development
Allowed on road lanes
Yes
Yes: 18/27
Allowed on pavements
No
No: 13/27, Yes: 9/27
Allowed on bicycle paths
Yes
Yes: 21/27
Sources: EC (2023), WHO (2018), FERSI (2020), National sources
Age restriction

4.3 Driving Licences
Table 17: Policies and regulations related to driving licences
Spain

Most common in EU

Novice Drivers
Accompanied driving
Probation period for novice
drivers

No
1year/ 2 years g

17 years: 13/27,
No: 7/27
2 years: 7/27,
3 years: 5/27

f

Exceptions: That the vehicle does not have rear seats, that all the rear seats areoccupied by other minors with their respective restraint system, that restraint
systems cannot be installed in said seats.

The sign indicating that the driver is a novice driver is carried in the vehicle during
the first year, however, novice drivers have restrictions regarding the alcohol level orthe number of points for the first two years.

g17

C ount ry Profi leSpain

Renewal Procedure
Renewal procedure (compulsory)
Renewal interval
Medical requirements
Source: National sources

Yes
10 years until age 65,
5 years over age 65
Yes

Yes: 26/27
Εvery 10years: 13/27,
Εvery 15years: 9/27
Yes: 22/27

4.4 Road Infrastructure
Table 18: Policies and regulations related to road infrastructure
Spain

Most common in EU

Audits or star rating required for
new road infrastructure

Yes

Yes: 10/27,
Partial:17/27

Inspections / star rating of existing
roads

Yes

Yes:26/27

Yes

Yes:25/27

Yes

Yes:20/27

Yes

Yes:23/27

Yes

Yes: 21/27

Design standards for the safety ofpedestrians / cyclists
Investments to upgrade high risk
locations
Policies & investment in urban
public transport
Policies promoting walking andcycling
Source: WHO (2018)18

C ount ry Profi leSpain

5. Structure and Culture
5.1 Country Characteristics
Population density in Spain is similar to the EU average, and its
population is mainly settled in urban areas. Its GDP per capita is belowthat of the European Union.
Table 19: Country Characteristics, 2021
Spain
Demographics2
Population (inhabitants)
Population density (inh./km2)% children (0-17)% adults (18-64)% elderly (65+)% of urban population
Economic Data2
GDP per capita (euro)
Infrastructure1
Country Area (km2)Road network length (km)Road density (km/km2)% of motorways% GDP spent to road infrastructure3
Vehicle Fleet1
Vehicles per population% of passenger cars
% of motorcycles% of HGVs% of buses
Exposure1
Modal split of passenger transport on land
(passenger-km in %):- Passenger cars
- Bus/coach/Metro/Tram
Modal split of freight transport on land (tonnekm in %):- Road- RailEnvironment1
CO2 emissions from road transport (million
tonnes)Share of road transport emissions in totaltransport emissions (%)
Sources: 1EC (2023b), 2Eurostat, 3OECD (2023)

19

EU

47,398,695
94.2
17.4
62.8
19.8
81.1

447,000,548
109.0
18.2
61.6
20.3
75.2

25,50032,560505,983
666,738
1.3
2.38
0.3

4,225,134
4,473,380
1.1
1.67
0.4

0.76
69.2
15.9
14.7
0.2

0.73
77.3
11.4
11.1
0.2

85.7
9.2

85.2
8.7

92.7
4.1

74.6
16.4

79.3

739.8

68.2

76.3

C ount ry Profi leSpain

5.2 Structure of Road Safety Management
Table 20: Road Safety Management Structure
Key Functions

Formulation of nationalroad safety strategy

Monitoring of the roadsafety development
Improvements in roadinfrastructure

Improvement invehiclesImprovement in roaduser education--

Publicity campaigns

Enforcement of traffic
laws

Other relevant actors
Source: National sources-

Key Actors
Directorate General for Traffic (DGT), Ministry ofInterior
High Road Safety Council, including:- Ministries and national authorities- Autonomous communities (Regional governments)- Local entities- Public and private actors
Directorate General for Traffic (DGT), Ministry ofInterior
Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda
Directorate General for Traffic (DGT), Ministry ofInterior
Autonomous communities (Regional governments)
Local entities
Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism Improvementin vehicles
Directorate General for Traffic (DGT), Ministry ofInterior
Ministry of Education
Autonomous communities (Regional governments)
Directorate General for Traffic (DGT), Ministry ofInterior
Local entities
Directorate General for Traffic (DGT), Ministry ofInterior
Ministry of Health
Local entities
Public and private actors
Directorate General for Traffic (DGT), Ministry ofInterior
Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda
Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism
Autonomous communities (Regional governments)
Local entities
Police (ATGC-Traffic Civil Guard, autonomous
communities and local polices)
Ministry of Labor and Social Economy
Public and private actor

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C ount ry Profi leSpain

5.3 Self-declared behaviour & Attitudes
Table 21: Self-declared behaviour and attitudes
Ranking among
EU countries

Spain

EU Average

22.9

17.0

15/18

48.4

55.7

6/18

19.2

17.2

13/18

25.9
41.5

16.8
34.4

1/18
5/18

21.1

15.0

3/18

79.9

76.6

4/18

57.6

38.3

1/18

85.3

60.1

1/18

Risk Taking% at least once in the past 30 days
- drive after drinking alcohol- drive faster than the speed limit
inside urban areas- transport children under 150cm
without using CRS
Enforcement Perception% of likely of being checked for- drink-driving- respecting speed limits- using of hand-held mobile phone
while driving
Support for policy measures% of support to a legal obligation to- zero tolerance for all novice
drivers- limiting the speed limit to
30km/h in all built-up areas(except on main thoroughfares)- requiring all cyclists to wear ahelmetSource: ESRA3 project (2024)

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6. Notes
6.1 Data Sources
CARE (Community database on road accidents in Europe)
All information in section 1 of the Country Profile is based on the CARE
database. The full glossary of definitions of variables used in this Reportis available at EC Mobility & Transport - Road Safety webpage.
The European average is based on the average of the 27 EU countries.
EU trends and aggregated figures are based on the most recent figuresavailable (2021). In case of missing values, the EU averages andaggregated data were produced by imputing figures based on data fromprevious years. For values less than 10, the trend is not shown since it
may be due to randomness. Also, due to missing data on serious
injuries for some EU countries, EU total/average is not calculated. Dateof extraction: July 2023
ACEA (2022)
European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. The automobile
industry - Pocket guide 2022/2023. ACEA, 2022.
https://www.acea.auto/files/ACEA_Pocket_Guide_2022-2023.pdf
Data on the average age of the passenger car fleet come from the
ACEA. The European average is based on the average of 24 EU
countries. Date of extraction: July 2023
Baseline project
Information in section 3 is based on Key Performance Indicators
collected within the Baseline project.
https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/statistics-andanalysis/data-and-analysis/key-performance-indicators-kpis_en
Alternative sources were used for countries with no available data in
the Baseline project (e.g., ETSC, national sources). The European
average is based on the average of 17 EU countries for speeding, 23
EU countries for seat-belt use, 13 EU countries for CRS use, 14 EU
countries for helmet use, 14 EU countries for driver distraction and 13
EU countries for vehicle safety. Date of extraction: July 2023
European Commission 2023
Data were retrieved from EC Mobility & Transport - Road Safety
website:https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/drivingabroad/road-rules-and-safety/index_en.htm
Date of extraction: July 2023
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C ount ry Profi leSpainEuropean Commission – Statistical Pocketbook 2023 (b)European Commission, Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport.
EU transport in figures – Statistical pocketbook 2023. Publications
Office of the European Union, 2023. Date of extraction: November 2023
https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2832/319371
Eurostat
Data were retrieved from Eurostat: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat
The European average is based on the average of the 27 EU countries.
Date of extraction: July 2023
ESRA project
Information in sections 3 (drink-driving) and 5.3 is based on data fromthe ESRA 3 (E-Survey of Road Users’ Attitudes) project (2023).
https://www.esranet.eu/
The European average is the average of 17 European countries. In the
ranking of the countries in Table 21, Switzerland is also included. Dateof extraction: November 2023
ETSC
Information in section 3 is based on data from the following ETSC
report. The European average is the average of 24 European countries
for all indicators, except the alcohol related tickets (20 countries).
European Transport Safety Council. How traffic law enforcement cancontribute to safer roads. PIN Flash Report 42. ETSC, 2022.
https://etsc.eu/how-traffic-law-enforcement-can-contribute-to-saferroads-pin-flash-42/
FERSI (2020)
Kamphuis, K. & van Schagen, I. (2020) E-scooters in Europe: legal
status, usage and safety. Results of a survey in FERSI countries. FERSI
paper. https://fersi.org/. Date of extraction: July 2023
IRTAD (International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group)
Data related to the percentage of GDP spent to road infrastructure(Section
5.1)
isretrieved
from
the
OECD
database:https://stats.oecd.org/. Date of extraction: July 2023
WHO
Data were retrieved from the WHO Global Status Report on Road
Safety, published in 2018. The European average is based on the
average of the 27 EU countries.
https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/
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C ount ry Profi leSpain

2018/en/. Date of extraction: July 2023

6.2 Definitions
Road Crash
Any crash involving at least one road vehicle in motion on a public roador private road to which the public has right of access, resulting in atleast one injured or killed person. Data are based on police reports andthere may be an underestimate because of underreporting (especiallyfor non-fatal crashes and crashes not involving a motorised vehicle).
Fatalities
Total number of persons fatally injured within 30 days of the roadcrash; correction factors applied when needed. Confirmed suicide andnatural death are not included.
Seriously injured (at 30 days)
Total number of persons seriously injured corrected by correction
factors when needed. Injured (although not killed) in the road crashand hospitalized at least 24 hours. The definition of “serious injury”
varies considerably among EU countries, affecting, thus, the reliabilityof cross-country comparisons.
Lorry, under 3.5tn
Goods vehicle under 3.5t maximum gross weight. Smaller motor
vehicles used only for the transport of goods.
Heavy Goods Vehicles
Goods vehicle over 3.5t maximum gross weight. Larger motor vehicles
used only for the transport of goods.
Powered two-wheelers
Driver or passenger of either a moped (two or three wheeled vehicle
equipped with engine size of maximum 50cc and maximum speed that
does not exceed 45 km/h. A moped can also have an electric motor.
Speed pedelecs and electric powered bicycles that offer pedal
assistance up to 45 km/h, also belong to this category of vehicles.) ora motorcycle (motor vehicle with two or three wheels, with an engine
size of more than 50 cc. A motorcycle can also have an electric motor.).
Working week – Daytime
Monday to Friday 6.00 a.m. to 9.59 p.m.
Working week – Night-time
Monday 10 p.m. to Tuesday 5.59 a.m.
Tuesday 10 p.m. to Wednesday 5.59 a.m.
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C ount ry Profi leSpain

Wednesday 10 p.m. to Thursday 5.59 a.m.
Thursday 10 p.m. to Friday 5.59 a.m.
Weekend – Daytime
Saturday to Sunday 6.00 a.m. to 9.59 p.m.
Weekend – Night-time
Friday 10 p.m. to Saturday 5.59 a.m.
Saturday 10 p.m. to Sunday 5.59 a.m.
Sunday 10 p.m. to Monday 5.59 a.m.
Speeding
The percentage of passenger cars travelling within legal maximum
speed limits based on roadside measurements during daytime.
Seat belt & CRS use rates
The percentage of passenger car occupants using seat belts and child
restraint systems (CRS) based on roadside observations during
daytime.
Helmet use rates
The percentage of powered two-wheeler riders and cyclists using
helmets based on roadside observations during daytime. Helmet use
rates for cyclists in some countries concern only urban roads. Please
note that in some countries, the use of helmets is not obligatory for
cyclists (see Table 16).
DUI of Alcohol
The percentage of car drivers who have driven at least once in the last
30 days over the legal alcohol limit based on a self-reported survey.
Driver Distraction
The percentage of drivers not using a hand-held mobile device/phone
while driving based on roadside surveys during daytime on working
days. The vehicle types included are passenger cars, light goods
vehicles and buses/coaches.
Explanations of symbols in tables:/ : not available- : not applicable (e.g. calculation cannot be performed)

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