This special summer that has cost us so much to arrive is coming to an end and, for this reason, the General Directorate of Traffic starts up from tomorrow, Friday, August 27 at 3:00 p.m. and until 12:00 p.m. Sunday 29, the special traffic operation “Return of Summer”, in which it is estimated that 4,750.00 trips will take place by road.
On these days, the journeys of citizens who return to their places of residence after vacations will coincide on the road with the usual ones on a summer weekend.
Displacement forecasts
On Friday 27, between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., and on Saturday morning, mainly between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., there will be important long-distance movements that will cause high traffic intensities that can cause delays in leaving the big cities, as well as in the main communication routes to tourist and rest areas, both on the coast and in the mountains. In the late afternoon-evening on Friday, problems can be found in the destination areas.
To these movements of those who now start their vacations will be added the usual departure at the beginning of the summer weekend to the coastal areas and second homes.
In addition, on Saturday afternoon it will already be possible to observe return movements towards the large urban centres of those who end their holidays and make the staggered return to their places of residence, with the possibility of circulating intensity in some road axes.
On Sunday morning, traffic may be conflictive on the roads that connect coastal populations and access to beach areas on short-distance routes, while from early afternoon (especially between 5:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. : 00 hours) the return will begin, both for those who end their holidays in August and those who have gone out to enjoy the weekend, and incidents with high traffic intensities may occur on the main road axes that connect the coastal areas , mountain or second residence with access to large cities.
For all this, the DGT recommends as always to plan trips in advance and, if possible, avoid the worst hours.
Special device
With all this flow of vehicles on the road, the DGT has established a series of traffic regulation, management and surveillance measures, with the aim of facilitating the mobility and fluidity of the different road users and ensuring the safety of all of them , among which stand out:
- The installation of additional and reversible lanes with cones at times of greatest traffic influx and on the main access roads to large cities.
- The restriction of the movement of dangerous goods vehicles, special transport and trucks in general and those that transport certain goods in certain sections, dates and times.
- The stoppage of road works and limitation to the holding of sports events and other events that involve the occupation of the road.
- The design of recommended alternative itineraries according to origin and destination, with distances and travel times and, in some cases, avoiding the downtown area, which is the one with the highest traffic intensity.
To these measures are added the human resources available, among which are, not only the agents of the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard, who will ensure the safety of citizens who travel by road, they will assist drivers who do so. but also the officials and specialized technical staff of the DGT who serve in its eight Traffic Management Centers and the more than 13,000 employees of conservation companies and operation of the Ministry of Public Works and the rest of the road owners, as well as the emergency services personnel.
Of course, the special device also has all the material resources available to the General Directorate of Traffic and among which are the 780 fixed radars (92 of them stretch) and 545 speed control mobiles, in addition to the 12 helicopters, 39 drones, 261 cameras and 15 camouflaged vans to control the use of mobile phones and seat belts.
The established device can be consulted by clicking on this link .
Driving tips for the return from vacationEven at the risk of seeming repetitive, the DGT gives drivers a series of recommendations that allow them to make this return home in the best road safety conditions:
- Plan the trip by the safest route to avoid unforeseen events. The free DGT application, the twitter accounts @informacionDGT and @DGTes or the news bulletins on radio and television, as well as the telephone number 011, report the traffic situation in real time and any incidents that may exist.
- Schedule the most appropriate time for the trip, avoiding the most unfavourable hours and, if necessary, use the proposed alternative itineraries.
- Avoid traveling at night or after a tired day on the beach or in the mountains. If the trip lasts more than 8-10 hours, do not do it often.
- Avoid large meals and moderate doses of stimulant drinks, as well as the consumption of drugs that reduce attention or cause drowsiness.
- Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs or let anyone who has done so get behind the wheel. The only safe rate is 0.0%.
- Before starting the trip, check the correct operation of the lights and indicators, as well as the tire pressure.
- The luggage must be correctly placed, allowing the driver to have maximum visibility. Do not place objects on the rear tray of the vehicle that could cause damage in the event of sudden braking.
- Maintain attention to driving at all times and respect traffic regulations: speed, safety distance, seatbelt and SRI for all passengers, etc.