According to the Ministry of the Interior, between 3:00 pm yesterday, 30th December, and midnight on Monday, 2nd January, 4.2 million road trips are expected throughout Spain during the holiday period.
Therefore, to guarantee the safety of road users, the DGT (Directorate-General for Traffic) will use their maximum available resources, to have a strong presence on the highways.
Phase two of holiday traffic
Consequenlty, the second phase (the first phase was Christmas week) has officially begun and will last until midnight on Monday, January 2. This is still a holiday in some communities (Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Castilla y León and Murcia).
For this second weekend of Festive celebrations, 4.2 million trips are planned. As a result, the DGT once again has the maximum availability of both human and technical resources. This includes agents of the Guardia Civil Traffic Group, civil servants of the Traffic Management Centres, helicopter patrols and personnel in charge of maintaining equipment and installing road measures). It also includes technicians and the following;
- 780 fixed radars (92 of them section)
- 545 speed control mobiles
- 13 helicopters
- 39 drones
- 245 cameras
- 15 camouflaged vans
In addition so that all these movements are carried out safely, there will also be checks on the use of mobile phones and seat belts.
Journeys
Many of these road trips, both long and short, will go to second homes, mountain areas for winter sports, winter and Christmas tourist attraction areas, as well as commercial areas.
Road management
In order to anticipate circulation in the most congested areas, the DGT has planned, among other regulation and management measures, the installation of reversible and additional lanes with cones. This is during the hours of greatest traffic flow and the establishment of alternative itineraries. Likewise, road works will be halted. Sports events and other events that involve the occupation of the road will also be limited. Furthermore, the circulation of trucks in general and those that transport certain goods will be restricted in some sections, dates and times.
Full information can be consulted in the “Special Operations” section.
Things to consider
On these dates, often adverse winter conditions come together, with celebrations of family and friends. Therefore, it is very important that drivers take into account a series of very basic recommendations:
- Refrain from drinking alcoholic if you intend to drive.
- Maintain maximum caution, and safe distance on short and night journeys, even if the roads are familiar.
- Pay attention by keeping yourself informed of the weather conditions and roads affected. Ensure you have adequate equipment and supplies.
- Plan the trip in advance and find out about any incident on the road through the traffic information bulletins. Aside from radio and TV reports, you can find information on the web dgt.es mapamovilidad.dgt.es, on Twitter -@DGTes and @InformacionDGT- and by phone 011.
- Ensure your mobile phone is fully charged
Always comply with traffic regulations so that no one has to recreate the Christmas album you couldn’t live
