The Dirección General de Tráfico has begun imposing fines on drivers who leave shopping bags on the ground next to a vehicle while they organise items in the trunk, a practice that inspectors say can create danger on the road.
The rule invoked is Article 12, point 2, of the Reglamento General de Circulación, which "prohibits throwing, depositing or abandoning objects or materials on the road that may obstruct traffic or create danger." Leaving shopping bags on the pavement while loading can be sanctioned as a minor offence of up to 80 euros, the traffic authority says; carrying loose objects in an inappropriate place inside a vehicle can draw a heavier penalty of about 200 euros.
The Guardia Civil in Sevilla has begun applying those higher fines after local reports: one regional outlet said officers fined drivers 200 euros for carrying loose objects that were not properly secured. The DGT itself said in a tweet that the 200-euro sanction is due to unsecured cargo "moving and altering the vehicle's center of gravity," a danger that the sources link to the so-called 'efecto elefante'—the forward throw of unsecured objects in sudden braking.
Practical guidance from regional reporting underpins the enforcement. Málaga Hoy notes that in turismos loads should always go in the trunk, or on roof racks and trailers if available, and only in an extreme case may a load be placed on the seats. The same report says objects on the rear seats or front passenger seat "must be well secured so they do not interfere with driving or come loose in sudden braking." El Correo de Andalucía adds that the issue is treated as a serious infraction under the Reglamento General de Circulación and stresses that the driver must maintain freedom of movement and the necessary field of vision.
The numbers underline why officers have tightened checks: an unattended shopping bag, even if light, becomes a projectile in abrupt manoeuvres and a loose item shifted toward the rear can change how a vehicle handles. The regulation and the social-media explanation from the DGT link the legal sanction directly to road safety—specifically the risk of unsecured objects moving and altering a car's balance.
There is friction between the different classifications and the reality on the street. The public-facing text of Article 12.2 targets objects left on the road and attaches an explicit minor fine of up to 80 euros, yet local enforcement has materialised as 200-euro penalties for unsecured loads inside or on top of vehicles—penalties the DGT ties to altered centre-of-gravity risks. Drivers used to pausing at kerbs to sort shopping are now facing two different legal logics: one that bars abandonment of items on the highway surface, and another that treats loose interior cargo as a load-control problem with steeper penalties.
The practical consequence is immediate: if officers continue to interpret unsecured bags and loose items as a safety risk liable to the higher sanction, routine behaviour at supermarket car parks and on residential streets will cost drivers more than before. For those seeking quick clarification, regional reporting recommends stowing loads in the trunk or securing them firmly on the seats only in exceptional cases. Readers following local sport should note a separate item on our site: Levante hold 1-0 lead after Iván Romero's set-piece finish vs Sevilla —
This enforcement push makes clear what drivers must change: stop leaving shopping bags on the ground beside vehicles and secure any items inside so they cannot shift. The stronger reading of the regulation being enforced in Sevilla turns an everyday convenience into a roadside risk with a concrete price tag—80 euros if treated as abandonment on the pavement, roughly 200 euros if treated as unsecured cargo that can alter vehicle behaviour. That disparity, and the safety logic behind it, will determine whether the new fines reduce the casual habit or simply relocate it to a new, still-risky routine.
