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DGT 2025—cyclists: reflective gear visible at 150 m, contraflow on 30 km/h streets in jams, take the lane with a 1.5 m passing gap, and groups may ride two-abreast.
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Motorcyclists in Spain: helmets, gloves and high-vis aren’t optional anymore…
The Spanish traffic authority (DGT), after a difficult year on Spain’s roads, has tightened the rules for motorcycle riders. Motorcyclists will be required to wear full-face helmets or modular ones, as well as protective gloves starting in early 2025.
Reflective elements will also be required to ensure you are not visible in the dark or in low light. From July 1, training will be more intense, with a greater emphasis on road practice. This means that solo rides should begin with actual traffic experience. One more change is on the way: in tailbacks, motorcycles will be authorised to use the hard shoulder at up to 30 km/h, with priority given to vehicles already entitled to that space – a safety valve designed to cut low-speed shunts while keeping jams orderly.
Cyclists: be seen, use contraflow at 30 km/h – and ride two-abreast legally
The same is true for cyclists: they must wear reflective gear visible from 150 metres away in the darkness or when visibility decreases. In urban streets limited to 30 km/h, there’s new flexibility in gridlock – bikes may ride contraflow, and in these zones riders are told to take the centre of the lane rather than hug the kerb, while drivers must keep a 1.5-metre safety gap. Clarity is also added to group riding: clubs can ride two abreast, as long as they stay as close to the right as possible to maintain traffic flow and predict overtakes.
Why the crackdown on crime? The death toll in 2024 forced action
The DGT calls motorcyclists and cyclists ‘vulnerable users’ for a reason. In Spain, 286 motorcyclists and 46 cyclists died in road accidents last year. The eight-point package is accompanied by new awareness campaigns and built around a single idea: making riders more visible, better protected, and better trained while giving them safer alternatives in the worst traffic situations. The message for 2025 is blunt but fair — gear up, be visible, claim your space, and everyone gets home.
