Juan Carlos Toribio, a former Civil Guard traffic officer and road-safety expert, says insufficient funding for road maintenance is one of the most serious problems facing Spain’s roads. In an interview with AutoBild, he described the network as significantly neglected and criticised the authorities responsible for its upkeep.
A study by the Spanish Road Association (AEC) found that 52% of the 101,700 kilometres of interurban roads it assessed were in deficient condition. The survey covered roads managed by the national government, autonomous communities and provincial councils, and recorded the worst result to date. The AEC also calculated a maintenance shortfall of nearly €13.5 billion. The article says €1 billion is due to be allocated this year to maintaining 3,000 kilometres of road.
Toribio argues that road authorities are not meeting their legal obligations. He cited Article 139 of Spain’s General Traffic Regulations and Article 57 of the Road Safety Law, which require road owners to keep roads in the best possible safety conditions. He said his organisation, the International Motorcycle Defence Union, regularly reports alleged failures and calls for more funding for maintenance and conservation.
He also criticised what he sees as gaps in the investigation of road crashes. According to Toribio, investigators may lack training in road infrastructure and technical standards for signs, markings and roadworks. He said investigations tend to focus on the vehicle and the driver, while the condition of the road may not be properly recorded.
Toribio further claimed that officers are sometimes instructed to report road conditions rather than issue complaints about them, which he said conflicts with other legal provisions requiring such situations to be reported. He argued that if this information is not gathered, it may not appear in accident reports.
Sources: Motorpasión.