Crashes and foreign drivers: the data Spain's DGT won't highlight
Foreign drivers are involved in 10% of Spain's fatal crashes despite making up 13% of the population. The data, fast-track licence swaps and an ageing car fleet.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Crashes and foreign drivers: the statistic nobody wants to look at
In 2016, foreign drivers made up 13% of the population in Spain, but were involved in nearly 10% of fatal crashes. The figure, published by ABC, is only the tip of the iceberg. Roughly 10% of accidents with fatalities involve a foreign driver, according to DGT (Spain's traffic authority) data collected by the press. And the proportion keeps growing.
The figure that hurts
Foreign drivers – not counting naturalised citizens – already accounted for 13% of the driver registry in 2016, but their share of fatal crashes was around 10%. It seems balanced, but the problem is that this percentage skyrockets when projected into the future. As some analyses point out, if foreigners were to reach 50% of the population, they would be responsible for 65% of fatal crashes, assuming the accident rate stayed constant.
By country, Bulgaria leads the European ranking of fatal crashes per million inhabitants (82), trinc by Romania (81) and Latvia (75). Figures that contrast with the official perception that road safety is improving.
Shady licences and fast-track swaps
One line of analysis points out that the problem is not just nationality, but how easy it is to obtain and exchange driving licences. In some Latin American countries, licences are issued without a rigorous exam and are then recognised in Spain. There are also reports of VTC (private-hire) drivers and delivery van drivers on the road with foreign licences without any specific training.
The freight transport sector is singled out: employers who hire foreigners to pay less, and who drive with dubious licences or without rest breaks. The Guardia Civil (Spain's paramilitary police) has already warned about the increase in trucks involved in accidents.
The other side: an ageing car fleet and elderly drivers
It's not all about immigration. Spain's car fleet is getting older and older. People cannot afford repairs or fuel, and drive unsafe cars. In addition, there are elderly drivers who never undergo medical check-ups. The DGT has been criticised for allowing seniors with vision problems and on medication to keep driving.
Another factor is the rise in cyclists and pedestrians, many without reflective gear, who die in night-time accidents. And ketamine as an emerging drug, undetectable in rapid roadside tests.
The open debate
Is there a causal link between the decline in the Spanish population and the rise in accidents? Some flatly deny it; others assert it with irony. What is certain is that the DGT does not publish data broken down by nationality in its annual reports, which fuels suspicions that the problem is being covered up. Meanwhile, the roads are accumulating more drivers with dubious licences, old cars and policing that seems to look the other way.
Related discussions in the forum
In 2016, foreign drivers made up 13% of the population in Spain, but were involved in nearly 10% of fatal crashes. The figure, published by ABC, is only the tip of the iceberg. Roughly 10% of accidents with fatalities involve a foreign driver, according to DGT (Spain's traffic authority) data collected by the press. And the proportion keeps growing.
The figure that hurts
Foreign drivers – not counting naturalised citizens – already accounted for 13% of the driver registry in 2016, but their share of fatal crashes was around 10%. It seems balanced, but the problem is that this percentage skyrockets when projected into the future. As some analyses point out, if foreigners were to reach 50% of the population, they would be responsible for 65% of fatal crashes, assuming the accident rate stayed constant.
By country, Bulgaria leads the European ranking of fatal crashes per million inhabitants (82), trinc by Romania (81) and Latvia (75). Figures that contrast with the official perception that road safety is improving.
Shady licences and fast-track swaps
One line of analysis points out that the problem is not just nationality, but how easy it is to obtain and exchange driving licences. In some Latin American countries, licences are issued without a rigorous exam and are then recognised in Spain. There are also reports of VTC (private-hire) drivers and delivery van drivers on the road with foreign licences without any specific training.
The freight transport sector is singled out: employers who hire foreigners to pay less, and who drive with dubious licences or without rest breaks. The Guardia Civil (Spain's paramilitary police) has already warned about the increase in trucks involved in accidents.
The other side: an ageing car fleet and elderly drivers
It's not all about immigration. Spain's car fleet is getting older and older. People cannot afford repairs or fuel, and drive unsafe cars. In addition, there are elderly drivers who never undergo medical check-ups. The DGT has been criticised for allowing seniors with vision problems and on medication to keep driving.
Another factor is the rise in cyclists and pedestrians, many without reflective gear, who die in night-time accidents. And ketamine as an emerging drug, undetectable in rapid roadside tests.
The open debate
Is there a causal link between the decline in the Spanish population and the rise in accidents? Some flatly deny it; others assert it with irony. What is certain is that the DGT does not publish data broken down by nationality in its annual reports, which fuels suspicions that the problem is being covered up. Meanwhile, the roads are accumulating more drivers with dubious licences, old cars and policing that seems to look the other way.
Related discussions in the forum
- Barcelona is no longer the capital of Catalonia · 104 replies
- Leticia Dolera: "a rapist can be a good person" · 37 replies
- And Marc Vidal showed us his true colours... · 45 replies
- BULLFIGHTING CORNER II · 8178 replies
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (33 replies).
More summaries
-
Half of Spain's renters are now foreigners, forum claims
A forum post claims 5 million foreigners rent in Spain, while tourism accounts for only 10% of the market, sparking debate on housing shortages.
-
Galicia's foreign population nears 158,000 as region grows at twice Spain's rate
Galicia ends 2025 with 157,743 legal foreign residents, doubling Spain's average growth rate. Mass immigration sparks debate over pensions and identity.
-
Leaked Nicknames of PSOE's 'Plumber' Spark Uproar in Ferraz
Leire Díez's agendas reveal insults to Yolanda Díaz, Patxi López, Pablo Iglesias and others. The list of nicknames shakes Ferraz.
-
Clocks go back: 3:00 becomes 2:00 and an extra hour appears
The clock change hands out 60 minutes and the forum debates how to spend them. At 3:00 tonight the clock will go back to 2:00. It's the…
-
France locks down: 70,000 officers and bond yields above 5%
France is locking down with 70,000 officers as its bond yield tops 5%. The spread over the bund hits 178 basis points. The staged-protest theory and the arms purchases.
-
Streamer reads "the Protocols of the Elders of Zion" while streaming live video
Streamer Dimitri Revolt quotes the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" in a video, a fabricated 1903 text. What it is and why it is used to spread antisemitism.