The number of people killed in traffic accidents on the Costa del Sol doubled year-on-year this summer, new figures show.

A total of 10 people lost their lives in July and August, compared with five during the same two months in 2025, according to the DGT traffic authority.

The deaths occurred across eight fatal accidents, up from five over the same period last year.

There were 235 accidents involving casualties between July 1 and August 31, representing 58 more than the 177 recorded last summer.

That represents a dramatic 32.8% year-on-year increase.

Hundreds injured on Malaga’s roads

The number of people hurt also increased significantly.

Some 27 people required hospital treatment, six more than last year, while the number of injured people who did not require hospitalisation jumped from 266 to 325.

Overall, the DGT recorded 362 people killed or injured on Malaga province’s roads this summer, compared with 292 in July and August 2025.

The figures are particularly striking because traffic increased by a much smaller amount.

There were 4,670,325 long-distance journeys in Malaga during July and August, representing an increase of just 1.5% compared with last summer.

July accounted for 2.32 million journeys and August for 2.35 million.

Distraction leading factor in fatal crashes

Distracted driving was the most frequently identified contributing factor in Malaga’s eight fatal accidents, appearing in three.

Two fatal crashes involved pedestrians entering the road, while driver inexperience and negligent driving were each associated with another accident.

Of the 10 people killed, five died when vehicles collided with obstacles on the road, four were pedestrians who were struck by vehicles and one died in a rollover.

Four of the eight fatal accidents occurred on motorways or toll-free dual carriageways, three happened on conventional roads and one occurred on a toll motorway.

Three of those killed were travelling on motorcycles larger than 125cc, comprising two riders and one passenger.

Three of the 10 people who died were also ‘not using the relevant safety equipment’ at the time of their accident.

Afternoons prove deadliest

Half of Malaga’s road deaths occurred between 2pm and 7.59pm, making the afternoon the deadliest period.

Another four people died between midnight and 6.59am, while one death occurred between 8pm and midnight.

Seven of the victims were men and three were women.

People aged between 55 and 64 suffered the highest number of deaths, with three victims, followed by the 25-to-34 age group with two.

July was the deadlier of the two months, recording six fatalities compared with four in August.

Road deaths rise across Spain

The deterioration in Malaga came during a summer in which road deaths also increased across Spain, although nowhere near as sharply.

There were 240 deaths in 218 fatal accidents nationwide during July and August, 10 more deaths than in summer 2025 – an increase of 4%.

The rise came despite a 10% fall in people requiring hospital treatment, to 926.

Spain also registered a record 102 million long-distance journeys, up 1.5% year-on-year.

Conventional roads remained by far the deadliest, accounting for 175 deaths, or 73% of the national total, while 65 people died on motorways and dual carriageways.

There was some positive news for motorcyclists, with deaths falling from 72 last summer to 54 this year.

However, deaths among younger road users increased. Some 31 people aged between 15 and 24 were killed, eight more than last summer.

The 45-to-54 age group recorded the highest overall death toll, with 49 fatalities – also eight more than in 2025.