The most dangerous roads in Murcia and Alicante: Drivers should beware these accident black spots

The stretch of Spanish road with the most accidents and fatalities is in Alicante and two on the list are in Murcia

A road traffic accident in the Region of Murcia

We all know certain stretches of roads that are often fraught with dangerous situations or seem to be accident black spots, but which are the most dangerous roads in Spain?

To help motorists know where they should take even more care than usual, the organisation Automovilistas Europeos Asociados (AEA) publishes an annual list based on the Index of Average Dangerousness (IPM), showing those which exceed the national average by more than 10 times.

The IPM is calculated from the number of accidents with at least one person injured (minor or seriously) or killed within a one-kilometre stretch, and the average number of vehicles that use that section of road per day. This year they found a total of 270 stretches in Spain that meet this criteria by having an IPM of over 82.

The latest figures are based on the period between 2018 and 2022, during which the 26,490-kilometre state road network saw 1,591 accidents with victims, in which 2,273 people were injured or killed.

The highest IPM in the country on a ‘conventional’ road (between built-up areas with one lane in each direction and no central reservation) was 1,696 (198 times the national average) on the N-4 in Jáen province, at km252 and 255. However, the most accidents and victims were recorded in Alicante.

The most dangerous roads in Alicante province

There are a total of 10 stretches in the Valencian community included in the list, none of which are in Valencia province, while five are in Alicante.

Top of the provincial blacklist is kilometre point 0 of the A-77a motorway, off the A-70 between Alicante University and San Vicente del Raspeig. Over the four-year period in question, this stretch had an average daily traffic of 34,437 vehicles, and was the scene of 110 accidents with victims, in which a total of 158 people were injured or killed, the highest in Spain.

As a result, this kilometre of the A-77a had an IPM of 175.9, which is slightly better than last year’s result of 178.7 but it clearly requires attention as it appears regularly on the annual list.

The second most dangerous was km12 of the N-325 in Novelda, where the road skirts around the outside of the town centre, near the municipal sports centre. Although there were only 10 accidents with victims and 11 victims in total, the much lower daily traffic of 2,004 vehicles means this works out as an IPM of 161.3. Nevertheless, this is a significant improvement on last year’s IPM of 212.6.

The remaining three black spots in Alicante are all on the same road, albeit at different points along the N-340, which happens to be the longest national road in Spain running almost 1,250km all the way from Barcelona to Cádiz.

One is in Orihuela, at km697, north of the city between El Escorratel and Barrio San Carlos, which has 7,117 vehicles per day, an IPM of 122.9 (down from 132.1 last year), 15 accidents and 28 victims.

The other two along the N-340 were: km706 in Crevillente, by the fire station and junction with the CV-904, where there were 14 accidents with 24 victims and 9,006 vehicles per day, making an IPM of 87.4; and km730, a multiple-lane section where 10,340 vehicles per day passed between Elche Industrial Park and Torrellano, and there were 19 accidents with 23 victims – an IPM of 89.8.

The most dangerous road in the Region of Murcia

Two stretches of the N-301, both northeast of Cieza where it runs alongside the A-70 motorway, were placed 133rd and 81st on the list.

Km345 sees average daily traffic of 699 vehicles and recorded an IPM of 124.9 as a result of two accidents in which there were six victims during the five-year period.

At km359, out of the 957 vehicles per day there were three accidents with six victims, which works out at an IPM of 957.

Which roads are safest?

Out of the 270 stretches identified this year, 109 already appeared in the report last year and nine had increased their dangerousness index.

The safest roads to drive on were, perhaps unsurprisingly, toll motorways. Although the AEA found 75 stretches with IPMs three times over the national average, at which there were 396 accidents and 640 victims, 605 of whom only suffered minor injuries.

Image: Murcia 112