The DGT traffic department forecasts almost 8 million road trips will take place this weekend, more than 49 million throughout the month. Long-distance trips both outbound and inbound will be added to the usual weekends of the summer period.
On the occasion of the beginning of the month of August, the most important in terms of vehicle movements this summer, the General Directorate of Traffic launches tomorrow, Friday, July 28, and until midnight on Tuesday, August 1, the “Special Operation August 1” with the aim of providing coverage to the 8,780,000 movements planned for these days, out of the 49,339,000 that are expected to take place throughout the month of August.
Special Operation August 1
These days will coincide on the road with the movements of vehicles generated by the beginning of the holiday month of August, long-distance journeys in the direction of departure from large urban centres, with those of return of those who end their holidays in the month of July, united in addition, to the usual departure/return trips for the weekend of the summer period.
For this reason, during these days Tráfico has established a series of measures to regulate, organise and monitor traffic in order to provide security coverage for the millions of short and long-haul journeys planned.
To provide coverage for this operation and ensure that all these movements are safe, Tráfico has the maximum availability of its human resources: agents from the Traffic Group of the Guardia Civil, civil servants from the 8 Traffic Management Centres and personnel in charge maintenance of equipment and the installation of measures on the road, in addition to the personnel of the emergency services. Regarding material resources, the DGT has 780 fixed speed control cameras, of which 92 are section, 545 mobile radars that can be carried on Guardia Civil vehicles, 245 cameras and 15 camouflaged vans to control mobile phone and seat belt use.
Circulation forecasts and measurements
Forecasts prepared by Tráfico contemplate that the largest increase in vehicles will take place on Friday afternoon, mainly between 4:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., which will cause high intensity and traffic problems at the exits of large cities, as well as in the main communication routes of access to the tourist areas of the coast. To these movements in the outbound direction due to the beginning of the August holidays will be added those that will take place at the beginning of the summer weekend.
On Saturday morning (from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) the intense traffic leaving urban centres and on itineraries that connect coastal towns, beaches and accesses to the coast will continue, as well as areas of second residence that may have traffic problems. In the evening, it will also be possible to observe movements of return to the big cities of those who finish their vacations in the month of July and bring their return forward to this day.
On Sunday morning, the accesses to the coast and the roads that connect coastal towns with access to the beaches will be conflictive and, in the afternoon, especially between 6:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., the return of those who have enjoyed the end of summer week, as well as those who end their vacations in the month of July, presenting high traffic intensities and circulation problems in the main communication road axes that channel all the return movement from the tourist areas of the coast, and second residences, towards the accesses of the large urban centres.
On Monday the 31st, the usual entry/exit movements of large cities on a working day will coincide, with exit movements (between 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.) due to the beginning of the August holiday month.
Finally, on Tuesday, August 1, there could be a greater intensity of traffic in the outbound direction (from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) due to the start of the tourist season for apartments, hotels and places of residence this month, which will join to the usual entry / exit at rush hour because it is a working day.
As is common in special traffic operations, with the aim of favouring circulation in the most conflictive areas, reversible and additional lanes with cones will be installed at peak traffic hours and alternative itineraries will be established. Likewise, works on the highways will be stopped, the holding of sports events and other events that involve the occupation of the road will be limited, and the circulation of trucks in general and those that transport certain goods will be restricted in certain sections, dates and times.
To better prepare the trip
The DGT recommends scheduling your travel plan in advance, avoiding, if possible, the days of massive displacements and the most unfavourable hours and driving preferably during the morning or afternoon, avoiding night driving because night driving causes fatigue and drowsiness.
Before embarking on the trip, it is advisable to carry out a complete check of the vehicle, checking, at least, the lighting, the state of the brakes and the tyres.
During the trip, you can find out about the traffic situation in real time, as well as any incidents that may exist on the twitter accounts @informacionDGT and @DGTes, in the news bulletins on radio and television and on the 011 telephone number.
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