The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has launched the May 1 Traffic Operation, a special device that will begin on Friday at 3:00 p.m. and will end at midnight on Monday, May 2, in Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Castilla y León, Extremadura, Madrid and Murcia, communities in which the May 1 festival has been moved to Monday.
For this period, Traffic forecasts 5,000,000 trips by road.
To ensure the safety of road users, the DGT is implementing a series of measures to regulate, organise and monitor traffic with the aim of covering the significant movement of vehicles that will take place on these days and which includes travel both long-distance and short-distance whose main destinations will be coastal and coastal tourist areas (mainly Andalusia and Levante), as well as mountain tourist areas and second homes.
It is important to note that this weekend the Jerez Grand Prix will also be held, so motorcycle trips to the town of Cadiz will have special relevance, especially in the accesses to the Jerez Circuit, due to the celebration of the Spanish Motorcycling Championship.
In addition, on Sunday the 1st the traditional April Fair officially kicks off in Seville, so the accesses to the city of Seville can increase its circulatory intensity.
As usual, with a view to facilitating mobility and fluidity on the roads and, of course, ensuring road safety for all, the operation has the total availability of the means, both human (agents of the Traffic Association of the Guardia Civil, civil servants from the Traffic Management Centres, helicopter patrols and personnel in charge of equipment maintenance and the installation of road measures), as technicians (780 fixed radars (92 of them section) and 545 mobile of speed control, in addition to the 13 helicopters, 39 drones, 216 cameras and 15 camouflaged vans to control the use of mobile phones and seat belts) available to the DGT.
CIRCULATION FORECASTS AND MEASURES
Traffic forecasts prepared by Tráfico contemplate that the largest increases in vehicles will take place both on Friday afternoon (especially between 4 and 11 p.m.) in the direction of leaving the large urban centres, and on Monday, May 2 (between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.) in the inbound direction of those who return from enjoying the holidays in the Communities in which this day is a holiday (Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Castilla y León, Extremadura, Madrid and Murcia).
In addition, both on Saturday morning (from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and on Sunday afternoon (from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.) there may also be heavy traffic both in and out of large cities, as well as on short itineraries that link towns of rest areas and mountains near these cities. In the case of Sunday afternoon, the problems due to the return will occur especially in the Communities of the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, the Valencian Community, Galicia, the Balearic Islands, Navarra and La Rioja.
To promote traffic in the most troublesome areas on each of these four days, the DGT has planned, among other measures, the installation of reversible and additional lanes with cones in the hours of greatest traffic flow and the establishment of alternative itineraries. Likewise, works on the highways will be paralysed, the holding of sporting 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 merchandise will be restricted in certain sections, dates and hours.
The established device can be consulted at dgt.es (traffic/recommendations for the next few days/special operations).
SPRING DRIVING
The weather forecast for these holidays is highly variable depending on the day and geographical area, a typical phenomenon of these spring dates in which there can be significant fluctuations in atmospheric conditions that as soon as they can present winter characteristics such as announcing the summer.
These sudden changes negatively influence driving and travel, whether in the form of showers, hail or fog, so the DGT recommends always bearing in mind when traveling on the road the two basic rules for driving, “prevention” and “prudence”, which will allow us to make the trip at this time of year in the best road safety conditions.
At the other extreme, the first trips to the road in sunny spring weather give a greater sense of safety and enjoyment that can cause an increase in speed and, consequently, a more serious accident rate, so even in good weather it is essential respect the signs, as well as the specific and generic speed limits of the road and the safety distance between vehicles.
For all these reasons, the DGT reminds you to find out about the weather forecasts at the State Meteorological Agency and, as always, plan your trip along the safest route to avoid unforeseen events. The free DGT application, the twitter accounts @informacionDGT and @DGTes or the informative bulletins on radio and television, as well as on the 011 telephone, provide information on the traffic situation in real time and any incidents that may exist.
REMEMBER, THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO COME BACK
Last weekend was the worst weekend of the year in terms of road accidents. Only 15 people died on interurban roads. Before the new bridge that many citizens will enjoy, the General Directorate of Traffic, asks for prudence and respect for the rules to avoid victims on the road.
