The proportion of road accidents involving fatalities and hospitalizations rises by 11% over the Easter holiday

• One in three drivers consider Easter to be the most dangerous time of the year. The main concerns are the condition of the roads, adverse weather conditions, and the condition of their own vehicle.
• Risky driving behaviours persist: 4.4 million drivers admit to drinking alcohol during Easter journeys, and almost 15 million exceed speed limits. In addition, 4.2 million drivers still do not have the V-16 emergency beacon.
• By region, Navarre (25.8%) and Extremadura (23.6%) record the highest proportion of accidents involving fatalities and hospitalised injuries during Easter. The A-31 motorway in Alicante (km 206.2–226.8) is the road section with the highest number of accidents involving victims during this period.

Madrid, 25 March 2026. Easter has become one of the periods with the highest traffic intensity on Spanish roads. In just a few days, millions of people travel to a wide variety of holiday destinations, causing major traffic congestion across large parts of the country’s road network. Since 2019, the year prior to the pandemic, long-distance travel during Easter has increased by 12%, while average daily congestion has risen by 30%.

In this context of high mobility, road accidents also increase. Between 2015 and 2024, nearly 24,000 traffic accidents were recorded during Easter, resulting in 460 fatalities and more than 33,000 injured people. The data also show an increase in accident severity, as during this period the proportion of serious road accidents (involving fatalities or hospitalised injuries) reaches 14.6%, almost 11% higher than the annual average.
These are some of the key conclusions of the study “The most critical days: road accidents at Easter (2015–2024)”, prepared by Fundación Línea Directa in collaboration with FESVIAL. The report analyses all traffic accidents that occurred in Spain during Easter between 2015 and 2024, considering outcomes up to 30 days after the accident. It is complemented by a survey of 1,700 drivers over the age of 18 from across Spain, aimed at understanding their habits and perceptions.

Through this report, Fundación Línea Directa seeks to raise awareness among Spanish drivers of the risks associated with driving during the first major holiday getaway of the year. In the words of its Managing Director, Mar Garre: “Easter represents the first major road safety challenge of the year, making it vital for drivers to be aware and actively involved. Complying with traffic regulations, facing congestion calmly, and following the recommendations of the DGT will allow us to continue progressing towards the goal of zero road fatalities.”

The most common type of accident at Easter

The Operation Departure accounts for more accidents than the Operation Return, particularly on the preceding Friday (10.4%) and Saturday (10.5%). Meanwhile, Sunday (Palm Sunday) records the highest proportion of fatal accidents (4.9% of all accidents involving victims that day).
In terms of road type, most accidents during Easter occur on conventional roads, which account for 63.5% of incidents, mainly on straight stretches, although accidents on curves increase significantly compared to the rest of the year. Regarding accident typology, run-off-road accidents are the most common when there is no collision (38%), while rear-end collisions are the most frequent when collisions do occur (20%).

By vehicle type, six out of ten vehicles involved are passenger cars. However, there is also an increase in accidents involving other types of vehicles during this period, particularly motorcycles and bicycles.

The profile of victims in accidents on interurban roads shows a clear predominance of men, accounting for 61% of victims, most of whom are aged between 31 and 45 (28%). This pattern mirrors that of the drivers involved, who are also predominantly men (76%) within the same age range and with more than 20 years of driving experience. There is also a notable increase in underage victims due to the rise in family travel.

In urban areas, the most frequent accidents are side-impact collisions (27%), followed by pedestrian accidents (17%), although the latter are below the annual average. In this environment, more than half of the vehicles involved are passenger cars (51%), while 28% are motorcycles. The typical victim is again male (61%), aged between 18 and 30, while drivers involved are also mostly men (74%), aged between 31 and 45.

Where the most serious accidents occur

The Fundación Línea Directa report presents a map showing the proportion of serious accidents (fatalities and hospitalised injuries) relative to the total number of accidents occurring during Easter in each region.

Navarre (25.8%) records the highest proportion, followed by Extremadura (23.6%), both well above the national average (14.6%). At the opposite end are the Community of Madrid (7.4%) and Cantabria (10.5%). The study also identifies interurban road sections of up to 25 kilometres in length with the highest number of accidents involving victims during Easter in Spain over the past decade. The road section with the most accidents is the A-31 (km 206.2–226.8) in Alicante, with 22 accidents involving victims. This is followed by the GC-1 in Gran Canaria (km 1.0–19.5); the AP-7 (km 170.0–190.2) in Barcelona; the A-2 (km 19.0–38.5) in Madrid; and the A-1 (km 340.7–360.2) in Álava.

The cities with the highest proportion of serious victims (fatalities and hospitalised injuries) relative to the total number of traffic accident victims during Easter are Zaragoza (11%), Córdoba (9.7%) and Murcia (6.3%).

What Spaniards think

Easter travel continues to concentrate risky driving behaviours. According to the Fundación Línea Directa study, a significant proportion of Spanish drivers admit to failing to comply with key road safety recommendations during these journeys. Specifically, 14.8 million drivers (53%) admit to exceeding speed limits, while 11.2 million (40%) do not follow the DGT’s recommended rest guidelines—namely, stopping every two hours or every 200 kilometres.

Alcohol consumption is also part of these risk behaviours. More than 4.4 million drivers (16%) say they consume wine, beer or mixed drinks during Easter journeys, while nearly 10 million (34%) report eating heavy meals while travelling.

The study also analysed the adoption of the approved V-16 emergency beacon, which 4.2 million drivers (15%) still do not have. Overall, the measure faces rejection: 83% of drivers disapprove of it as a safety system, and 1.6 million state that they will never purchase it.

Special mention should be made of drivers’ main concerns regarding Easter travel. One in three drivers—equivalent to 9 million motorists—identify Easter as the most dangerous time of the year for driving. But what exactly worries them? A total of 23 million drivers (83%) are concerned about the current condition of roads. Added to this is weather instability, which worries three out of four drivers, particularly due to its impact on visibility and vehicle grip. Finally, the condition of their own vehicle concerns 43% of drivers.