From the first motorcycle patrols to current road safety checks, the history of the Arrecife detachment accompanies the transformation of an island marked by tourism growth, increased traffic, and road evolution.
Before the roads of Lanzarote were filled with rental vehicles, daily commutes between municipalities, and tourists traveling the island from north to south, monitoring traffic was a very different task. The roads were more limited, the vehicle fleet was of a different scale, and the means available to handle an incident were far from what they are today. In that scenario, a job began to develop that, over the decades, would become an essential part of island road safety: that of the Guardia Civil de Tráfico.
The history of this service in Lanzarote dates back to 1968, when the Arrecife detachment was created, nine years after the birth of the Guardia Civil Traffic Group in Spain. Since then, its officers have accompanied the changes experienced by the island, from an era when motorcycles were one of the main symbols of road surveillance to a present marked by specialized checks and the investigation of dangerous behavior.
From roads to specialization in highways
Concern for road safety predates the appearance of the automobile. On April 10, 1845, just one year after the creation of the Guardia Civil, the Duke of Ahumada already referred to the surveillance of royal roads. However, the expansion of motorized vehicles during the 20th century forced the development of a specific organization to respond to the new risks of traffic.
In 1929, the Corps of Road Watchmen was created, and in 1934, the Traffic Code was approved, establishing a general framework for regulating road traffic. The increase in the vehicle fleet during the 1950s made it necessary to move towards specialization capable of meeting new surveillance needs.
The decisive change came on August 26, 1959, when the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard was officially created, following the approval of Law 47/1959, of July 30. The new organization assumed functions of traffic surveillance and regulation, assistance to users, and intervention in accidents, with specifically trained personnel and resources adapted to the needs of the service.
Canary Islands and the arrival of the service in Lanzarote
The implementation of the Traffic Group in the Canary Islands began in September 1961, when the sub-sectors of Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria came into service. The initial staff of the archipelago consisted of 38 motorcyclists, eight drivers of assistance vehicles, and two accident investigation specialists.
The deployment across the islands occurred progressively. In 1962, the Santa Cruz de La Palma detachment was established, and six years later, in 1968, it was Lanzarote's turn with the creation of the Arrecife detachment. Subsequently, new destinations were incorporated in Fuerteventura and Tenerife.
The opening of the service in Lanzarote coincided with a period of significant economic and social transformations. Tourism was beginning to gain prominence, and road communications were becoming more important for connecting population centers, facilitating the transport of goods, and meeting the needs of an expanding economy.
The presence of specialized agents introduced a form of surveillance adapted to increasingly complex traffic to the island's reality. Roads began to play an essential role in connection
An island that changed to the rhythm of its roads
The evolution of the Traffic detachment cannot be separated from the transformation of Lanzarote. The roads that today connect Arrecife with the airport, the north of the island, and the main tourist centers are part of a road network that has undergone profound changes in recent decades.
Economic and tourist growth increased mobility between Arrecife, Costa Teguise, Puerto del Carmen, and Playa Blanca, while travel to Haría, Teguise, Tinajo, San Bartolomé, and other municipalities continued to be essential for the resident population.
A report on the roads of Lanzarote prepared in June 1998 by Antonio Estevan offers a revealing reference to this process. According to the data collected in the study, the average daily traffic intensity on the stretch between Arrecife and the airport increased from 32,800 vehicles in 1989 to 48,028 in 1996. This figure allows us to appreciate the magnitude of the increase recorded on one of the island's main road corridors during those years.
To the daily commutes of residents were added vehicles linked to tourism, the transport of goods, and an increasingly land-communication-dependent economy. This transformation expanded surveillance needs and reinforced the importance of preventing accidents and intervening in incidents.
Much more than fines and checks
The image of the Traffic Civil Guard is usually associated with patrol motorcycles, speed checks, and vehicle documentation verification. However, their functions also include intervening in accidents, assisting affected persons, regulating traffic, and preparing reports when circumstances require it.
Officers also carry out checks to detect safety-compromising infractions, from driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs to driving without a license and speeding that can constitute a crime.
On an island with significant tourist activity, this work affects both those who reside in Lanzarote and those who come to discover its landscapes, beaches, and natural spaces. The coexistence of private vehicles, rental cars, and other users demands respect for the rules and responsibility at the wheel.
Road safety education is another fundamental element. On October 23, 2009, Canariasenmoto.com announced the celebration of the first Moped Road Safety Campaign in Arrecife, promoted by the Lanzarote Motorcyclist Collective's Road Safety Table, with the collaboration of the Island Council's Road Safety and Education Service and the Traffic Department of the capital's City Council.
The initiative, planned for the following day, was part of the events for the tenth anniversary of the Motoclub Los Nómadas and aimed to raise awareness among moped users about safe riding, with special attention to the correct use of helmets and respect for traffic regulations.
That journalistic announcement allows us to establish a concrete connection with October 23rd as the publication date of this report. It also reminds us that prevention does not depend solely on police checks: it requires training, awareness, and the involvement of the drivers themselves.
Risks remain present on island roads
The evolution of vehicles and surveillance procedures has not eliminated the dangers associated with traffic. Excessive speed and rule-breaking behavior continue to demand attention and preventive measures.
On September 18, 2026, La Voz de Lanzarote reported on the investigation of a driver whose car was detected at 148 kilometers per hour on the road from Femés to Playa Blanca, in the municipality of Yaiza, where the limit was set at 60 kilometers per hour. The action occurred during a speed check carried out by agents from the Arrecife detachment.
The case illustrates the importance of surveillance devices in the face of behavior that can endanger other users. Speeds far exceeding the permitted limit reduce reaction time and can worsen the consequences of any unforeseen event.
Individual responsibility remains decisive. The decisions made behind the wheel affect not only the driver but also passengers, pedestrians, and everyone else who shares the road.
From yesterday's motorcycles to today's means
Motorcycles are one of the most recognizable symbols of the Traffic Group since its early years. Their ability to move agilely on the roads made them a characteristic tool for patrols, especially at a time when communication and assistance resources were more limited.
Over time, the specialty incorporated new vehicles, communication systems, and tools for surveillance and accident investigation. Technological evolution transformed work procedures, although the presence of agents on the ground continued to be fundamental.
The evolution of the Traffic Group has also been reflected in its resources, organization, and specialization. In 2024, 65 years have passed since its creation, a trajectory that allows us to measure the changes experienced by a service that was born to respond to the new challenges of traffic and has been adapting to the growth of the automotive fleet and the demands of road safety.
In December 2025, La Voz de Lanzarote published information about a complaint related to repairs carried out by agents on official motorcycles and doubts about the maintenance procedure. The news raised questions about vehicle management and the advisability of using specialized workshops.
Months earlier, in June of the same year, the newspaper had reported a complaint from the professional association Independientes de la Guardia Civil about the closure of the two restrooms at the barracks due to problems with the supply of cleaning products. The association warned of the conditions in which, according to their complaint, the agents had to work.
Both reports brought the material conditions of the service into public debate. The availability of vehicles, the maintenance of equipment, and adequate facilities are relevant issues for the functioning of a unit responsible for monitoring roads and assisting their users.
A new stage at the head of the detachment
The Arrecife Traffic Detachment began a new stage on September 16, 2026, when Lieutenant David Gómez-Arevalillo González took over its command.
The new head, who joined the Guardia Civil in 2009 and developed part of his professional career in the Traffic Group, was received on October 1 by the insular director of the General State Administration in Lanzarote, Pedro Viera. During the meeting, they discussed issues related to road safety, island mobility, and coordination to improve accident prevention.
Gómez-Arevalillo expressed his commitment to continue working to reduce accidents and improve road safety. His arrival comes in a context where mobility requires addressing the needs of residents and visitors, monitoring risky behaviors, and maintaining an effective response to incidents.
A history linked to the transformation of Lanzarote
Since the creation of the Arrecife detachment in 1968, the Guardia Civil de Tráfico has carried out its activity on an island that has changed profoundly. Roads have evolved, traffic has increased, and travel related to tourism, work, and daily life has acquired a very different dimension from what it had in its early decades.
The history of the service accompanies this transformation: from the first patrols and the resources of an era with more limited mobility to current surveillance, control, and investigation procedures. It also speaks of a job that combines prevention with intervention in situations where the speed and preparation of agents can be decisive.
Roads connect municipalities, sustain a good part of economic activity, and allow for the daily travel of thousands of people. Ensuring their safety means protecting those who use them and contributing to the well-being of Lanzarote's society.
Almost six decades after the creation of the detachment, its essential mission remains: to prevent risks, assist those in need, and contribute to ensuring that every journey ends safely. Added to this work is the preparation of reports on the state of the roads, the identification of black spots, and the detection of deficiencies, such as insufficient or inadequate signage, to bring them to the attention of the competent authorities and facilitate the adoption of necessary corrective measures. A task that goes beyond traffic surveillance and that, generation after generation, has accompanied the transformation of Lanzarote, from the first patrols to an island reality in which mobility and road safety are essential for the daily lives of residents and visitors.
DOCUMENTARY SOURCES
• Guardia Civil. "September 5, 1961. Deployment of the Traffic Group." Institutional Portal.
• Law 47/1959, of July 30, on the regulation of competition in traffic matters in the national territory. • Estevan, Antonio. Report on the roads of Lanzarote. César Manrique Foundation, 1998.
• Canariasenmoto.com. "I Road Safety Campaign for Mopeds in Arrecife," October 23, 2009. • La Voz de Lanzarote. "Unsanitary conditions of the Arrecife Guardia Civil Traffic Detachment Denounced," June 2025.
• La Voz de Lanzarote. Information about the complaint regarding the maintenance of the detachment's official motorcycles, December 2025.
• La Voz de Lanzarote. "Driver investigated for driving at 148 km/h on a road limited to 60 in Lanzarote", September 18, 2026.
• La Voz de Lanzarote. Information about the institutional reception of the new head of the Arrecife Traffic Detachment, October 1, 2026.
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