The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) foresees changes in traffic regulations from 2025 that will affect both cyclists and drivers. The main measure establishes that Drivers must reduce speed by at least 20 km/h below the limit established on the stretch of road when they overtake cyclists, according to Servimedia. This reform of General Traffic Regulations seeks to protect vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists, drivers of personal mobility vehicles and moped riders.
In addition to reducing speed when overtaking, drivers will have to stop a minimum lateral separation of 1.5 meters with cyclists. On roads with more than one lane in each direction, it will be mandatory to make a complete lane change during the overtaking maneuver. According to the DGT, “the difference in speed between the two is already great, so protecting the weakest requires reducing speed and not increasing it.”
New obligations for cyclists
The regulations also introduce changes for cyclists, who must always ride with protective helmet when traveling on the road, except for “serious medical reasons.”
Reform of the General Traffic Regulations
The reform of the General Traffic Regulations in which these measures are framed takes working at the DGT for more than three years. Its main objective is to improve road safety for the most vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists, drivers of personal mobility vehicles and moped riders. The regulations seek to reduce accidents and promote safer coexistence among all users of Spanish roads.