Spain launches major new national road safety strategy

The Spanish government has published its long-term goals for road safety improvements in a comprehensive strategy that encompasses the Safe System approach and is in line with EU and global targets.

The new document begins with a look back at the progress made during the decade covered by its previous road safety strategy acknowledging both successes, such as a reduction in deaths among young drivers on the weekend, as well as failures, such as missing the target for reducing work-related crashes and deaths among pedestrians and cyclists.

The forward-looking strategy encompasses a wide range of targets and measures across multiple levels and sectors of government. At the heart of the plan is the EU and UN target to reduce both deaths and serious injuries by half by 2030.

Spain has made substantial progress in reducing road deaths over the last two decades and last year had a road mortality rate of 32 deaths per million inhabitants, according to ETSC’s latest PIN annual report. Neighbouring France, by comparison, had a rate of 45 deaths per million.

The strategy document is available in an English translation from the official website.