DGT motoring fines in Spain: these are the places where are you most likely to get a ticket

Spain's Directorate-General of Traffic (DGT) issued a total of 5,413,100 fines for traffic offences on Spanish roads during 2024, within its jurisdiction, according to data broken down by region. This figure does not include fines issued in Catalonia and the Basque Country, given that these regions have devolved traffic management powers.

The region with the highest number of fines was Andalucía, with a total of 1,425,521 sanctions, far exceeding the one million mark and consolidating its position as the region with the highest traffic-fining activity.

At the other end of the table, with fewer than 100,000 fines issued, are Asturias (96,669), La Rioja (85,436) and Cantabria (77,688). According to the DGT's annual review for 2024, the provinces with the highest number of fines issued were Madrid (657,070), Malaga (331,520) and Cadiz (325,473). At the other extreme, the provinces with the fewest fines were Melilla (3,775), Ceuta (5,439) and Ourense (28,799).

The motoring company and online vehicle-leasing platform Bipi has analysed the data and points out that "it reflects that areas with higher population density and tourist traffic also have a higher concentration of fines". In provinces such as Madrid, Malaga and Cadiz, daily traffic, holiday travel and the high presence of private vehicles explain a large part of the volume of fines issued.

Andalucía led the regions with more than 1.4 million traffic violations (1,425,521), accounting for almost one in four infractions recorded in Spain during 2024. It is followed by the regions of Madrid (657,070 fines) and Valencia, which exceeded 580,000. These three regions, characterised by their high traffic density and high volume of both urban and tourist travel, account for nearly 50% of the national total of ticketed traffic offences.

In general, less populated regions or those with a more limited road network have fewer fines. Meanwhile, Castile and León (572,830), Castile-La Mancha (459,917) and Galicia (433,157) also stand out among the regions with the most fines, reflecting the importance of enforcement on large stretches of the intercity road network and interprovincial traffic.

Bipi stresses the importance of responsible driving and having up-to-date and well-maintained vehicles, factors that significantly reduce the risk of infringements and accidents. "Our goal is to offer a safe, flexible and sustainable alternative. Driving a subscription vehicle that is regularly inspected is a plus for improving road safety and avoiding unnecessary fines," the company explains.

According to the same DGT 2024 annual review, Spain's vehicle fleet for 2024 exceeds well over 25 million, with passenger cars being the dominant vehicle type.

Two provinces account for a significant portion of the national vehicle fleet: Madrid has the highest number of vehicles on the road with 5,490,370 units. Barcelona is close behind with 3,681,009 vehicles.

Although Madrid and Barcelona have the highest total number of vehicles, some rural or sparsely populated provinces show a higher density of vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants, reflecting a greater dependence on private vehicles.

Cuenca, Teruel and Lugo are among the provinces with the highest ratio of vehicles to population. At the opposite end of the spectrum are provinces with the smallest vehicle fleets, such as Soria (78,589 vehicles), Teruel (125,013) and Palencia (131,767), as well as the autonomous cities of Melilla (69,501) and Ceuta (63,441).