Cantabria closed 2024 with a slight decrease in accidents on its roads, registering 3,221 accidents, barely nine fewer than the previous year (3,230), but with a significant decrease in the number of fatalities: 16 deaths compared to 21 in 2023, which is the first decrease in road mortality since 2019.
The improvement is especially concentrated in the interurban roads, where 11 deaths were recorded, the lowest figure since 2020. In urban areas, five deaths were recorded: two in Torrelavega and one in Liencres, Parayas (Camargo) and Pondra (Ramales de la Victoria). By road type, 7 fatal accidents occurred on conventional roads and 4 on motorways.
This has been demonstrated in the Autonomous Commission of the Higher Council of Traffic, Road Safety and Sustainable Mobility 2025, chaired by the Government delegate in Cantabria, Eugenia Gómez de Diego, and the provincial head of Traffic, José Miguel Tolosa.
However, the delegate regretted the tragic start of the year, with 10 deaths in the first quarter of 2025, a worrying figure that contrasts with the overall decline of the previous year. It has also pointed to the upturn in mobility, with an estimated 3.15% increase in travel during 2024.
“The reduction of deaths is a positive fact that encourages us to continue strengthening the policies of prevention, surveillance and road education,” said Gómez de Diego, who also wanted to send a message of prudence before the start of 2025, “a particularly hard start to the year, with ten fatalities in just three months.”
Likewise, Tolosa has stressed the need to continue working with all the agents involved: “Reducing the number of deaths is always good news, but we cannot relax: zero accident is the only acceptable goal. Every life counts and behind every figure there are broken families. We must continue to focus on awareness, control and infrastructure improvement."
As for the accident in motorcycles and mopeds, it remains at high levels with 334 recorded accidents, a figure similar to that of 2023 but that doubles the values before 2021. Despite this, the number of deaths in this group was halved, from 8 to 4.
On the other hand, accidents caused by the presence of animals on the road continue a downward trend, contrary to the national average. Especially significant is the reduction of claims with curls, which has been halved in two years. 95% of these events end only with material damage.
In the field of infrastructures, various actions have been taken in the community, including humanization works in Liérganes and Colindres, the improvement of intersections in the N-621 (Molleda-Val de San Vicente), the new roundabout in the N-634 for access to the port of San Vicente de la Barquera, and various patching and maintenance works. It also highlights the investment of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility of 50 million euros for the improvement of security in 16 tunnels.
In terms of care for the citizen, significant progress has been made in the digitization of procedures, and currently 94% can be carried out without going to the Traffic Headquarters, through the telephone 060, the Electronic Headquarters or the miDGT App. Only two procedures require physical presence: the exchange of permits and the request for authorizations for dangerous goods.
Vehicle fleet and tests
The Cantabrian vehicle fleet continues to grow, with an increase of 1.5% and a total of more than 454,000 registered vehicles. In 2024, 14,461 registrations were made. The number of drivers also increased, with a growth of 1.1%, to 365,195 registered: 162,273 women and 202,922 men.
The activity in the examination centers also intensified. Theoretical tests increased by 8.8%, while circulation tests reached 14,626, the highest figure in the last nine years. However, the percentage of approvals continues to fall, standing at 43.5%, seven points less than five years ago.
Finally, in 2024, 13 special surveillance and control campaigns were carried out, including specific actions on school transportation, seatbelt use, speed or driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Representatives of different Units of the General Administration of the State with direct or indirect competence related to Traffic and Road Safety have participated in the Commission, such as the Colonel of the Civil Guard, Antonio Orantos, and the Commander of the Traffic Sector of the Civil Guard, Jorge Giro, or the Prosecutor of Road Safety, Carolina Santos and the director of the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of Cantabria, Pilar Guillén Navarro.
Representatives of the areas of Development, Transport, Industry, Presidency, Health or Biodiversity of the regional government have also participated, as well as a representative of the local police of Torrelavega.