Serious Traffic Saturday: Cyclist Dies in Selva, Motorcycle Crash in Sóller Tunnel

Serious Traffic Saturday: Cyclist Dies in Selva, Motorcycle Crash in Sóller Tunnel

Two crashes within hours – emergency services continuously deployed, safety questions remain

On Saturday morning there was hardly room for routine on Mallorca: around 9:30 a.m. a serious collision occurred on the Ma-2112 between Inca and Mancor de la Vall, at the junction towards Biniamar. A Renault Kangoo struck an 83-year-old cyclist at about kilometre marker 2.6. Emergency services and police arrived quickly, but the elderly man succumbed to his injuries around 10:20 a.m. The van driver tested negative for alcohol and drugs; initial investigations by the Guardia Civil suggest that the stop sign at the junction may not have been observed. Investigations are ongoing.

Only about an hour later a 19-year-old motorcyclist lost control of his vehicle in the Sóller tunnel and collided with the right tunnel wall. He was seriously injured, intubated and taken to Son Espases hospital; his condition was reported as critical. The tunnel remained closed for almost two hours. Numerous units – local police, the Guardia Civil and emergency service 061 – managed the operation and the recovery. Long queues formed on the access roads, commuters sat in their cars, buses were delayed, and the bend on the outskirts of Sóller slowly filled with honking vehicles.

Key question: Could these accidents have been prevented, and what needs to change on our country roads and in tunnels?

A sober look reveals several levels: technology, infrastructure, rule compliance and education. On a narrow country road like the Ma-2112, mistakes have immediate and serious consequences. Stop signs are clear legal requirements, but in reality an overlooked stop at a narrow junction between olive groves and stone walls often marks the difference between a scare and a catastrophe. In tunnels, other factors come into play: lighting conditions, lane width, guardrails, speed and the sudden reactions of individual road users.

The public discourse often lacks the everyday perspective: people talk about numbers and blame, less about the small things we see every day – faded white lane markings, dust and leaves in curves, outdated or poorly positioned signs that are hard to see in low sun. In the Tramuntana this happens frequently; the sun dazzles, the wind blows pine needles onto the road and suddenly you face a danger spot.

An everyday scene: on the Ma-2112, shortly before Selva, locals often stop in the morning at the small bar across the road, the smell of coffee mixing with the petrol smell from parked delivery vans. Cyclists, mostly older residents, use this route for errands. No one wants to stop when they are in a hurry – that's understandable. And yet that is precisely the problem.

Concrete solutions would be realistic and affordable: improving the visibility of traffic signs with reflective films and higher placement, regular road marking maintenance, targeted clearing of sightlines, speed indicators at critical junctions and more mobile controls on access roads to villages. For tunnels, automated systems to monitor speed and run-off incidents should be expanded, combined with clear guidance for emergency communication. Measures for older road users are also needed: information campaigns in village centers, free bicycle checks and joint practice sessions that municipal traffic advisers could offer.

The system also includes medical aftercare: a fast, well-coordinated transport to hospital saves lives; in both cases the injuries were severe. The presence of 061 and the cooperation between the Guardia Civil and local police work – the response times show that. Nevertheless, technology helps: automatic emergency calls, cameras at critical points and better traffic control during recovery operations would reduce jams and further risks.

What is missing from the public debate is a sense of responsibility beyond assigning blame. It's not just about who missed a sign. It's about the sum of small deficiencies: infrastructure, maintenance, education and personal behaviour. If we do not look at these together, we remain at single events – and repetition is programmed.

Conclusion: these two accidents are tragic reminders of how sensitive traffic on Mallorca is. The emergency services acted professionally, but we must not rely solely on their dedication. Politicians, municipalities and citizens must start with small steps: visible signs, better markings, more attention for older cyclists and technical upgrades at accident hotspots. Only then can we prevent a normal morning on the Ma-2112 or an exit towards Sóller from becoming a catastrophe.

Late on Saturday afternoon the mood in Selva remained subdued; the bar at the junction seemed quieter than usual, conversations were spoken more softly. A small village that knows how thin the line between everyday life and disaster can be.