Why the roundabout by the cemetery in Palma remains a risk — and what should be done now

Why the roundabout by the cemetery in Palma remains a risk — and what should be done now

An accident on Tuesday morning shut the access to the ring road. Time for a reality check.

Around 9 a.m., when coffee cups were still steaming and commuters were in a hurry, a crash occurred at the roundabout by the municipal cemetery on Camí de Jesús: three cars were involved, one ended up on its side, another hit a tree on the central reservation. Three drivers were injured, two of them taken to hospital. Local police, SAMU 061, Falck, Palma fire department and an ambulance responded, a city tow truck removed the vehicles and Emaya was called in to clean up oil and debris. Severe rear-end collision on the Ma-13: Why the stretch between Inca and Palma often becomes a bottleneck

Key question: why do serious accidents repeatedly happen at this exact spot — and who will draw the consequences? This is not a rhetorical question but can be anchored in specific facts: recurring collisions at the same location, a tree in the middle of the central reservation, closure of both lanes to the ring road during rush hour.

Critical analysis: the roundabout apparently does not meet the requirements of a well-designed urban junction. A tree in the median may sound picturesque, but it becomes a deadly hazard if guardrails, sufficient run-off area or impact protection are missing. Other contributing factors may include inappropriate speed when exiting the roundabout, limited visibility due to parked vehicles or poorly marked lanes. And when both lanes are blocked during peak hours, the effect ripples through the network: buses run late, delivery traffic backs up, and car horns fill the air.

What has been missing so far from the public debate: reliable data and clear responsibilities. Official accident statistics for the section, average speed measurements, results of alcohol or drug tests, records of previous prevention measures — none of this has been openly communicated. Without these numbers it is difficult to judge whether this is a cluster of isolated incidents or a persistent blackspot.

An everyday scene from that morning: people with torn jackets and smeared soot stood at the roadside, a delivery rider pushed his bicycle through the cordon, an elderly woman jumped off the bus to continue on foot. Later, an Emaya street sweeper brushed the debris aside, his broom sounding like a metronome for the slow return to normality. Such images are familiar on Mallorca — they remind us that traffic policy is not abstract, but affects everyday life.

Concrete measures that should be tackled immediately:

1. Immediate measures: Temporary speed limits when entering and exiting the roundabout (e.g. 30 km/h), additional warning signs and reflective posts along the central reservation, immediate inspection of the tree for stability and, if necessary, provisional protective barriers or crash cushions.

2. Short-term measures (weeks to months): Accident analysis by the traffic authority in cooperation with the local police, speed measurement campaigns, relocation or protection of the tree population, better lane markings in the roundabout and review of nearby parking regulations if they obstruct visibility.

3. Medium-term planning: Reassessment of the roundabout design: is a conventional roundabout still appropriate here or would a mini-roundabout, altered geometry or even a signalised junction be safer? Roundabout at Son Castelló: Reconstruction from 2026 — Relief or Construction Chaos? In the long term, the city administration should develop an action plan for accident-prone locations and set priorities with an allocated budget.

Who needs to be involved? The City of Palma (for road maintenance, Emaya, fire department), the Balearic traffic authority and the national Dirección General de Tráfico for data and technical expertise, as well as insurers for swift handling of recovery and removal. An open exchange of the findings is crucial — residents have a right to know what is being done.

What to avoid: only short-lived reactions after every spectacular accident and then months of silence. The recurrence of a serious incident at the same spot — as in 2023 when a vehicle hit that same tree and youths were injured — shows that spot clean-ups alone are not enough. Three serious accidents in one night: What's wrong with Mallorca's country roads?

Pointed conclusion: a tree in the median may please the eye, but road safety is measured by concrete protection measures. Palma must decide at this location whether aesthetics trump safety — and do so quickly, before the next rush hour brings not only traffic jams but something worse.