Roundabouts have increasingly become pressure points on Spain’s roads, where routine driving errors can carry serious consequences. Since early 2025, police monitoring has been intensified to crack down on incorrect manoeuvres, from failing to give way to sudden or reckless lane changes. While roundabouts predate the mass use of cars, their correct use has taken on renewed importance as traffic volumes grow and safety concerns mount.
Authorities warn that many drivers remain unaware that mistakes made when entering or navigating a roundabout can lead to fines of up to €500 and the loss of six points on a driving licence. Spain’s traffic authority, the DGT, working alongside the Guardia Civil, has reinforced roadside checks to ensure compliance with existing rules. Under Article 74 of the General Traffic Regulations, certain actions are defined as offences, with the most serious falling under the category of dangerous driving.
More common infringements, such as failing to yield on entry or changing lanes without signalling, typically result in fines of around €200 and points being deducted. However, when these are combined with excessive speed or manoeuvres that pose a clear risk to others, penalties increase significantly. In the most serious cases, where behaviour represents a grave threat to road safety, police may pursue criminal charges, bringing far harsher legal consequences.
Traffic officers have identified several recurring high-risk behaviours. These include entering a roundabout without giving way to vehicles already on it, switching lanes without warning, and exiting from an inner lane without first moving correctly to the outside. Driving too fast, either on approach or within the roundabout itself, further increases the likelihood of collisions and endangers all road users.
Road safety guidance consistently stresses the need to respect priority rules and to adapt speed to road signs. In Spain, unless stated otherwise, vehicles already circulating on a roundabout have right of way. The DGT says fines and penalty points are intended not as punishment alone, but as a deterrent designed to encourage safer driving and reduce the number of serious accidents.