Almost half of the drivers killed in road accidents in Spain in 2025 tested positive for alcohol, drugs, or psychotropic medication. The annual analysis by the Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses (INTCF), attributed to the Spanish Ministry of Justice, found at least one of these substances in 446 of 894 deceased drivers, or 49.9%. That was 1.7 percentage points higher than in 2024.
The report’s profile is predominantly male and middle-aged, with cars and motorcycles accounting for most positive cases. Fatal incidents involving drivers who tested positive were more common on working days than weekends: 61.9% occurred on working days. The pattern extends beyond nightlife and holiday travel.
The INTCF analyzed 1,202 people killed in traffic collisions, including 894 drivers and 171 pedestrians. The remaining 135 were other vehicle occupants. Among the drivers, 446 tested positive. Cars represented 46.4% of positive-driver cases, while motorcycles accounted for 35.4%. These are forensic findings from people killed in crashes, not roadside test results from the wider driving population.
Men accounted for about nine out of ten positive driver results, while women represented slightly less than 10%. Drivers who tested positive had an average age of 46.6. The largest age group was 45 to 54, at 22.1%, followed by drivers aged 35 to 44, at 17.1%.
Alcohol was detected in roughly two-thirds of positive driver cases. Drugs were found in 41.9% and psychotropic medication in 34.1%. The categories overlap because some people had more than one substance detected. Alcohol and cocaine were the most common combination. A positive toxicology result records detection; on its own, it does not establish that a substance independently caused a particular collision.
The report states that 20.3% of deceased drivers had a blood-alcohol concentration of 1.2 grams per litre, the threshold identified in the report account as sufficient for criminal liability under Spanish law. A further 11.6% exceeded 2 grams per litre. These post-crash blood measurements differ from administrative roadside limits and tests: the INTCF figures describe toxicology among people killed in collisions, not the prevalence of impairment among all motorists.
Cocaine was the most frequently detected illegal drug, present in 14% of deceased-driver cases, five percentage points above the 2024 figure. Cannabis was detected in 8.1%, while amphetamines and opiates were substantially less frequent. The article’s account also reports psychotropic drugs, mainly benzodiazepines, anxiolytics, antiepileptics, and opioids, in 17% of cases. It says the share of victims with multiple substances detected rose to 19.1%, up 6% from the previous year.
Pedestrians were also affected: 50.9% of those killed tested positive for alcohol, drugs, or psychotropic medication. Men made up the majority, though less overwhelmingly than among drivers. Blood-alcohol levels above 1.2 grams per litre were found in 61% of positive pedestrian cases.
Authorities have called for stronger preventive policies. The Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) reported that around nine million breathalyzer tests were conducted in 2025, or roughly one in three drivers checked, in line with World Health Organization recommendations. The DGT also operates helpline 018 for road-accident victims and their families, with support in more than 50 languages every day from 8:00 to 21:00. People can also contact the service through WhatsApp* (принадлежит Metа, которая признана экстремистской организацией и запрещена в РФ) and email.
Spain’s overall mobility rose 4% over the past year, which may contribute to the increase in incidents. The INTCF report, compiled with input from regional forensic institutes in Catalonia, Euskadi, Murcia, Comunidad Valenciana, and Islas Baleares, as well as the Luis Concheiro center, provides an overview of the ongoing challenge. Its findings have prompted judicial and traffic authorities to call for action on substance use among drivers and pedestrians involved in fatal accidents.
Spain distinguishes between administrative road-traffic violations and criminal offenses involving alcohol or drugs. The forensic results describe substances detected after fatal collisions; they do not, on their own, determine criminal liability or establish the full chain of causation. The 49.9% positive rate and the increase in cocaine detections point to a continuing road-safety challenge. Prevention and enforcement remain impressive on weekdays as well as weekends.
