Walter Finch
THE A-7 motorway that runs along the coast through Cadiz and Malaga and up into Valencia has long been known as a deathtrap – and now the figures back it up.
A new study has revealed that it sees a traffic accident every four days, ranking it Spain’s second most dangerous motorway with 868 accidents in 2023.
Just nudging ahead in first place is the AP-7, which follows Spain’s eastern coast until the border with France.
In third place was the A-2, which largely runs between Madrid and Barcelona. If you fancy a safer driver, the A-8 along Spain’s northern coast only registered 3-4 accidents in 2023.
Mechanical inspection company Informes Mecánicos laid bare the reality of safety on Spain’s main motorways from detailed traffic accident data from the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) for 2023.
Most alarmingly, the study reveals that 90% of these accidents occur under seemingly perfect driving conditions – on dry, clean roads.
Seven in ten take place during the day in normal light, 88% occur in clear weather conditions and 71% happen in smooth traffic without delays.
Two out of every three accidents occur on straight sections of the highway, the report notes.
Sergio Arboledas, director of Informes Mecánicos, warned that while most accidents happen in urban areas, interurban roads see more severe incidents due to higher vehicle speeds.
In Madrid or Barcelona, ??urban accidents predominate. However, in less densely populated provinces such as Avila, Segovia or Huesca, interurban roads record more incidents.
Nationally, each accident generates an average of 1.4 victims, with 93% being non-hospitalized injuries.
Perhaps most chilling is the fact that 85% of fatal victims die within 24 hours of the accident.
