The General Directorate of Traffic announces the special device that it will carry out during Christmas and that will be active until Sunday, January 8. These are the security and surveillance measures that the administration has prepared for the 18.2 million displacements planned for these dates.
From this Friday until January 8, the DGT expects that a whopping 18.2 million journeys will be made on the roads of our country. As always, the operation will take place in three phases (Christmas, New Year and Epiphany). Coinciding with the fact that Monday 26 is a national holiday, from 3:00 p.m. today Tráfico will begin a special regulation, management and surveillance device that will affect you in one way or another if you are one of those who will go to second homes or territories of Mountain.
Although the weather that is expected during the first round will not be entirely bad for the start of winter, depending on the place of destination, we can find inclement weather that can disturb our journey. That is why it is important that you take a look at our special “How to drive in winter” to find out the safest way to travel in heavy gusts of rain, wind and possible snowfall.
How the Traffic device will be developed for Christmas
As we said, the Christmas Special Operation will be developed in three phasesmaking them coincide with the three festivities typical of these dates:
- Christmas: First phase that will begin on Friday, December 23 and end on Monday, December 26. For this first phase, 4.4 million trips are expected.
- End of the year: Second phase that will take place from Friday, December 30 to Sunday, January 1.
- Reyes: Third phase and end of the Operation. It will begin on Thursday, January 5 and end on Sunday, January 8.
The most affected highways will be those that link the big cities with the municipalities of second residence, as well as the mountainous areas for winter sports and the areas of large shopping centers.
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Objectives of the Traffic device for Christmas
- Facilitate the mobility and fluidity of traffic while ensuring road safety on the roads.
- Maintain the proper conditions of road safety and circulation for all kinds of vehicles.
- Help and monitor drivers through agents of the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard and helicopters and cameras of the DGT.
- Report any incident through the mobile application, social networks and website, completely free of charge.
Measures of the Traffic device for Christmas
- Installation of additional lanes on roads with the highest traffic, especially in the vicinity of large urban centers.
- Restriction of circulation at certain hours and in certain places to trucks.
- Paralysis of works on the Spanish road network and limitation of sports events.
- Intensify speed, alcohol and drug controls.
- Greater monitoring of the use of mobile phones and seat belts.
Means available to the DGT to carry out the Special Christmas Operation
- DGT staff.
- All agents of the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard available.
- More than 800 officials and specialized technical personnel who attend supervision and information tasks.
- More than 13,000 employees of conservation and exploitation companies of the Ministry of Public Works, as well as the emergency services.
- 1,722 television cameras.
- 2,504 data collection stations.
- 2,440 variable message panels.
- 12 surveillance helicopters, eight of them with the Pegasus system, and 11 drones.
Travel safe this Christmas
These are the DGT recommendations Before you go on a road trip this Christmas:
- Find out about the state of the roads before embarking on the trip.
- Reduce speed and increase the safety distance if fog or adverse weather appears.
- Maintain proper mechanical control of the vehicle.
- Have chains or winter tires.
- Take breaks every two hours.
- Always use the seat belt.
- Do not consume alcohol or drugs.