A black summer on Spain’s roads leaves 240 dead, up 4% from 2025

Spain’s summer road toll rose to 240 deaths, even as the country recorded a new travel record of almost 102 million journeys. The figure for July and August was 10 higher than last year, an increase of 4%.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska called it “a bad summer,” saying four people died in traffic crashes each day. Officials presented the provisional results of the summer traffic operation, which covered 218 fatal crashes and 926 hospital admissions. Hospitalizations for injuries fell by 10%, or 106 cases.

July ended with 110 deaths, the third-lowest figure since records began and the second-lowest of the past decade. August brought a sharp increase, with 130 fatalities, making it the third-deadliest August of the past ten years. The month also recorded the most travel, with 52.5 million journeys compared with 49.5 million in July.

Deaths among vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, fell by 12% to 54, or 18 fewer than last summer. It was the first summer since 2014 in which fewer than one motorcyclist died per day on average. The reduction was concentrated especially in Galicia, Andalusia, Madrid and Catalonia.

Motorcyclists nevertheless remained particularly vulnerable. Half of those killed died on weekends, on conventional roads and after leaving the roadway. Twenty-six pedestrians died after being hit by vehicles, three more than last summer. Fourteen of those deaths occurred on motorways or expressways, and 12 on conventional roads. One victim was a road-maintenance worker.

From January 1 through August 31, 734 people had died on Spanish roads, 16 fewer than in the same period of 2025. The total at the time of the report stood at 754, compared with 777 in 2025. Marlaska said the 3% overall decline could not offset the poor summer result.

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This has been a bad summer.