If you’re cycling or driving in Spain (including the Canary Islands) any time soon, you’ll need to get up to speed with a series of updates to the country’s General Traffic Regulations which will come into effect from October 1.
Perhaps most strikingly, helmet exemptions for long climbs, extreme heat and on medical grounds are being removed. Failure to wear a cycle helmet can attract a fine of up to €200.
Cyclists will also be encouraged to ride in the centre of the lane – one of a series of changes intended to discourage motorists from attempting dangerous overtakes.
We first reported on proposals to change cycling related road rules in January 2025. However, it took until June 2026 for these to be approved, as they were only one part of a much larger package of changes that also includes amendments relating to e-scooters and motorcyclists.
The Majorca Daily Bulletin reports that many of the rule changes relate to motorists overtaking cyclists.
While the minimum 1.5m passing distance remains unchanged, drivers will now be required to overtake at a speed at least 20km/h below the speed limit. The Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) previously explained that this is because, “the speed difference between the two is already large, so the protection of the weaker forces the speed to be reduced and not increased.”
On a 90km/h road, this would mean passing a cyclist at no more than 70km/h. Furthermore, on roads with more than one lane heading in each direction, drivers will also be obliged to change lanes to pass.
If a driver is unable to meet all these requirements and therefore cannot pass, they will be required to maintain a minimum distance of 5m from any cyclist riding ahead of them in the same lane.
Meanwhile, in urban areas, cyclists will from now on be permitted to overtake stationary or slow-moving vehicles on either the right or the left – whichever is safer.
Local authorities also gain the right to permit two-way cycling on one-way streets, although this will require signs for both drivers and cyclists and only roads with a speed limit of 30km/h or lower will be eligible.
Delivery riders and others who cycle as part of their work are also now required to wear a hi-vis vest at all times.
Editor’s note: Un paso adelante, dos pasos atrás
The new rules coming out of Spain have left me a little confused: Schrödinger’s traffic laws, if you will.
On one hand, the regulations that drivers must pass at a speed 20km/h below the speed limit – and maintain a safe distance behind of at least five metres until it’s safe to pass – seem like genuinely useful additions to the 1.5m passing distance rule, and would undoubtedly improve cyclists’ safety if the rate of compliance was good. The Spanish will have to do a better job of broadcasting the information than the government has in Great Britain, where knowledge of several Highway Code changes made in January 2022 remain depressingly low.
On the other hand, there is little evidence that compulsory helmet wearing makes cycling safer overall – and there have been studies that suggest it might have a negative effect.
> Study (still) indicates that drivers give cyclists wearing helmets less room when overtaking
I’m imagining a hypothetical scenario where the Spanish version of Chris Boardman (who has been promoted to transport secretary in a further hypothetical scenario) had to get his vision past the Spanish version of Ian Duncan Smith, so they chucked a couple of nuggets in there from the anti-cyclist bingo card to appease. Helmets and high-vis made it in, but they drew the line at number plates or insurance…
But if the theoretical compulsory wearing of helmets is what it takes for Spain to pass laws that could actually make cyclists safer, some might say it’s worth it. Let’s just hope Spanish traffic cops don’t go for the low-hanging fruit – i.e. getting a few easy fines in each day for helmet violations – while turning a blind eye to the trickier and more dangerous stuff.
Will you be doing some extra reading on Spain’s traffic laws before your next cycling trip? Let us know what you make of these changes in the comments.
5 thoughts on “Ride in the centre of the lane and always wear a helmet – Spain has new cycling rules coming later this week”
Interesting that the pictures you’ve used are the road to Famara beach and the Tabayesco climb, both in Lanzarote.
On that climb 20km/h below the speed vehicles can actually go in some places (rather than the speed limit – don’t know what it is) would potentially mean cyclists needing to overtake them!
“potentially mean cyclists needing to overtake them!”
Surely there is never a ‘NEED’ for anyone to overtake, only a desire
@Surreyrider Most interesting of all is that the cyclist in the photo is me, taken by my wife, and the ‘original’ is on the wall in my house! How the heck has this ended up in a Road.cc article?
It says ‘Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson’. Who is that and why have they a photo of me!?
> Perhaps most strikingly, helmet exemptions for long climbs, extreme heat and on medical grounds are being removed.
What about the exemption for urban areas? That stays?
I’ve never had police in Spain bother me about my lack of helmet outside urban areas though TBH.
I’ll be pleased but amazed if there’s anything but enforcement ON cyclists by the police, while they just don’t happen to notice offences AGAINST cyclists. That’s certainly the way UK police would thwart and sabotage any such legislation here.