The figures reveal a worrying upward trend in accidents on this section of the highway, where serious incidents have tripled in just one year. This situation occurs five years after the abolition of tolls, which led to a shift in mobility towards high-capacity roads.
Unlike the general trend on the Catalan road network, where fatalities and serious injuries have decreased compared to 2019, the AP-7 shows a contrary evolution. Serious injuries have doubled, and fatalities have increased by 33% during the first eight months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2019, reaching twelve deaths. However, none of these deaths have occurred this year south of Barcelona.
The director of the Servei Català de Trànsit, Ramon Lamiel, points to increased traffic as the main cause of this rise in accidents. Some points on the AP-7 have registered up to 150,000 vehicles daily, with a significant presence of trucks, around 25,000 per day. Incidents involving heavy vehicles have also increased, rising from 979 in 2019 to 1,177 in 2025, and highway breakdowns have grown by 40% between January and July compared to the previous year.
To address this situation, Trànsit has implemented new restrictions on the stretch between Calafat and the south of Amposta. The maximum speed has been limited to 100 km/h for all vehicles and 80 km/h for trucks heading south. Additionally, heavy vehicles are prohibited from overtaking in both directions, a rule that 2.5% of truck drivers continue to disregard. These measures, which came into effect in December 2025, are complemented by speed controls and inspections on drivers' working and rest times.
