The summer holidays have started in Spain. And that also means the mass exodus from Spanish cities to family in the mountains or holiday homes along the coast. The first traffic jams have already been reported and the Spanish DGT reports all measures for safe traffic on the road.
It is noticeable from the vehicles on the Spanish roads that the summer holidays have started. The first traffic jams started this afternoon, mainly on the roads around Madrid. Many Spaniards leave the city for family in the mountains or for a vacation rental along the Spanish coast.
Busy road due to holiday in own country
With the corona pandemic still current in Spain, it was possible the the summer crowds would look very different this year. However, with many Spaniards staying in their own country this summer, there’s little difference on the roads.
How many crowds does the DGT predict this summer?
The Spanish traffic service DGT predicted significant crowds from 3 p.m. on Friday afternoon and expects 4.4 million trips this weekend by Spaniards going on holiday. For the whole month of July, the DGT predicts about 43.3 million traffic movements. The estimate for the entire summer period is that around 91.2 million trips will take place within Spain. The largest crowds are predicted on Friday afternoon/evening and Saturday morning.
Security measures DGT and Spanish police
The DGT deploys extra staff every year to supervise this mass exodus from the cities. A lot of traffic means jams and, unfortunately, also more accidents. Not only will the extra staff try to regulate traffic as best as possible, there are also more checks on alcohol consumption and whether people keep to the speed limit.
In addition to extra manpower from the DGT, thousands of agents from the Guardia Civil are also deployed to oversee everything. And it’s not just humans brought in to work. The DGT also announced the deployment of extra drones, concealed control vehicles, helicopters and extra cameras that check for speed, wearing seat belts and use of a phone while driving.
More traffic fatalities in Spain every year
Both the DGT and the Guardia Civil call for caution. The Spanish news site RTVE.es writes about traffic fatalities that occurred in June 2021. Last month, there were 115 fatal road casualties, 37 more than in the same month in 2019. Special attention is paid to motorcyclists. In the first six months of this year, 124 motorcyclists were killed in traffic. A figure that rises every year.
