Falls in solitude, the main danger for motorcyclists in Catalonia

The Servei Català de Trànsit (SCT) has activated the emergency indicators: a total of 21 motorcyclists have died in traffic accidents on Catalan roads between January 1 and May 31, 2026. The worst records achieved in 2019 and 2025 have been matched. Furthermore, the Servei Català de Trànsit warns that between June and September, coinciding with the arrival of heat and good weather, the figures for fatal accidents in Catalonia traditionally increase even further. In fact, the figures confirm this trend, as 7 of the 21 motorcyclists killed suffered accidents during the month of May.Although motorcyclists are not the most numerous group on Catalan roads, this year they already account for 40% of traffic fatalities during the first five months of the year, which has led the administration to design a special prevention and road safety training plan within the framework of the campaign "To avoid accidents, anticipate yourself". This campaign will place special emphasis on raising awareness and responsibility among motorcyclists, but it will also be accompanied by increased surveillance on roads with aerial means (drones and helicopters) and the new undercover motorcycles of the Mossos d’Esquadra. This is because police forces point out that reckless driving (overtaking in prohibited areas, zigzagging, changing direction…) is the main cause of mortality and accidents on Catalan roads.The X-ray of motorcycle accidents

The SCT data also show some interesting points, such as the fact that the majority of fatal accidents occur on motorways and dual carriageways (with the AP-7 as the main affected route), and that most accidents are of the single-rider fall type (falls or leaving the road). Furthermore, most accidents occur in the afternoon and evening, and by age and sex, the profile of the motorcyclist involved in an accident is a man over 45 years old. Although there is no single factor that explains solo falls or leaving the track by motorcyclists, it is significant that the majority of motorcycle accidents take place in an area considered safer than mountain road sections, which can be partly explained by the lack of respect and attention from drivers of four or more wheeled vehicles (cars, vans or trucks) towards motorcyclists when changing lanes or performing maneuvers that can cause falls or departures from the asphalt in an attempt to avoid a collision.Finally, the SCT has also launched a campaign to signpost the route of dangerous curves on the N-260 at Collada de Toses and on the B-124 between Sant Llorenç Savall and Calders, two of the black spots for road accidents in Catalonia traditionally associated with motorcyclist routes in our territory.