TRAFFIC police across Spain began a week-long crackdown on distracted driving on Monday. Drivers caught using their phones are the main target.
Guardia Civil traffic officers, along with any regional and local police forces that join in, will be watching for every kind of distraction on motorways, country roads and in towns until Sunday, October 11.
The DGT’s road cameras will also be used to spot drivers using their phones at the wheel.
Distraction is the most common contributing factor in crashes on Spain’s roads, according to the DGT. It played a part in 15,707 crashes last year, 21% of the total.
It was also the most frequent factor in fatal crashes, featuring in 444 cases.
Mobile phones were the biggest problem in last year’s campaign, which ran from October 6 to 12, 2025, with 397 towns in 42 provinces taking part.
Almost half of all fines issued were for using a phone while driving.
The DGT says distraction can be visual, auditory, physical or mental. Typical causes include chatting to passengers, using a phone, eating or fiddling with the car’s controls.
Distracted drivers drift more within their lane, react more slowly and are more likely to miss what’s happening around them.
The campaign is part of Operation Focus on the Road, coordinated across Europe by the European Roads Policing Network (RoadPol).
For the second year running, volunteers from ASPAYM, the national federation for people with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities, will join officers at checkpoints to show drivers the lifelong consequences of crashes.
They will be at checkpoints in 17 provinces, including Malaga, Granada, Almeria, Murcia, Valencia, the Balearic Islands and Las Palmas.
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