Is Malaga home to some of Spain's worst drivers?

Be that as it may, neither the city nor the province fares particularly well in the analysis of traffic offences, penalty points and fines.

According to the Carwow study, Malaga city ranks 50th in terms of safety, with a score of 30.92 out of 100. The study analyses variables such as traffic accident rates, driving licence penalty points and the number of driving offences per 100,000 drivers.

The results show that the capital of the Costa del Sol has the highest road accident rate of all the municipalities analysed, with 505 accidents per 100,000 drivers. Added to this is the loss of 43,533 driving licence points per volume of drivers - which far exceeds figures for other local authorities - as well as 4,197 recorded traffic offences. Large cities and tourist destinations face the distinct challenges of heavy daily traffic, high vehicle density and a large volume of journeys.

Barcelona follows Malaga in second-worst position with 33.63 points (8,965 points deducted, 56 accidents and 41,878 offences per 100,000 drivers). Then come Lleida with 36.33 points, Girona with 46.93, Burgos with 47.39, Madrid with 49.89, Vitoria-Gasteiz with 53.60, Tarragona with 55.44, Palma with 61.79 and Murcia with 61.86.

By contrast, the cities where driving conditions are best are León, Córdoba, Lugo, Ciudad Real, Toledo, Zamora, Guadalajara, Cáceres, Soria and Ourense.

In addition to official data, a survey by Carwow of 1,563 Spanish drivers shows that the behaviour of other road users continues to be a main concern behind the wheel. Over half (56.2 per cent) of drivers believe aggressive driving poses the greatest risk.

Many drivers also value technology as a key safety tool. In fact, 75.8 per cent say modern vehicles with advanced safety features make them feel more at ease. Highly rated systems include automatic emergency braking, blind-spot detection and 360-degree cameras.

What happens if we look at microdata from the DGT traffic authority? SUR has analysed this massive dataset and concluded that Malaga is the tenth province nationwide for points deducted and ninth for offences.

Looking at revenue, 28.3 million euros was collected in 2025 across 282,163 fines issued on main provincial roads. The provinces generating higher revenue than Malaga were Madrid, Valencia, Cádiz and Alicante.

Motorists in Malaga province lost 112,183 points during 2024. A total of 31,073 drivers accounted for those deductions, averaging almost four points each. The DGT processed 76 per cent of the points directly, while local police forces accounted for the remaining 24 per cent based on accident records.

The most serious offences, carrying a six-point penalty, affected 7,099 drivers. Mobile phone use, speeding and drink-driving were the primary causes.

Authorities issued 9,758 four-point penalties for seatbelt non-compliance and excessive speed, plus 11,991 two-point penalties for speeding alone.

In short, Malaga and its province often end up at the bottom of safety rankings, but the picture changes depending on statistical sources. Malaga is Spain's sixth most densely populated province behind Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante and Seville, though census figures exclude a substantial floating population of tourists, workers and commuters.

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