The DGT activates a new special traffic plan for the end of July and the beginning of August.

At 15:00 hours on Wednesday 31 July, the Directorate General of Traffic is launching ‘Special Operation 1 August’ to cover the 3,100,000 road movements planned until midnight on Thursday 1 August.

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3.1 million road journeys expected on 31 July and 1 August

For the whole of August, the most important month in terms of vehicle movements in summer 2024, 48,324,000 journeys are expected to be made on Spanish roads.

These days there will be a significant movement of vehicles on all roads throughout the country due to the start of the holiday month of August. There will also be an increase in movements on the weekend after these dates, due to the return and start of the summer months of July and August, respectively.

During this period, vehicle movements will coincide with the start of the holiday month of August, with long-distance journeys out of the major urban centres and to the main tourist destinations on the coast and along the coast, together with the return of those who finish their holidays in July.

During this period, vehicle movements will coincide with the start of the holiday month of August, with long-distance journeys out of the major urban centres and the main tourist destinations on the coast and along the coast, together with the return of those who finish their holidays in July.

Likewise, during the days of this Special Operation ‘1st August – 2024’, the influx of both Portuguese and North African vehicles will continue, the latter heading towards the border posts of their countries of origin in the entry direction (north-south), as part of the 1st phase of Operation Crossing the Straits – 2024.

Intending to safeguard the safety of all road users, the operation has the full availability of both human resources (agents from the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard, staff from the Traffic Management Centres, helicopter patrols and personnel in charge of equipment maintenance and the installation of roadside measures) and technical resources (fixed and mobile speed cameras, as well as helicopters, drones, cameras and camouflaged vans to control the use of mobile phones and seat belts) available to the DGT.

To improve traffic flow in the most problematic areas, measures will be adopted such as the installation of reversible and additional lanes with cones and signposting at peak traffic times and the establishment of alternative routes.

In addition, road works will be halted, sporting events and other events involving the occupation of the road will be limited and the circulation of lorries carrying dangerous goods in general will be restricted, as well as the circulation of lorries and special transport on certain stretches, dates and at certain times.

The full schedule can be consulted at https://www.dgt.es/conoce-el-estado-del-trafico/recomendaciones-de-trafico/.

Traffic forecasts and measures
The traffic forecasts drawn up by the Traffic Department indicate that, from early afternoon on Wednesday 31, mainly between 16:00 and 23:00, there will be significant movements of long-distance vehicles which will cause high intensities and traffic problems on the way out of the large urban centres and also on the main access roads to the tourist areas of the coast and rest areas, with these becoming more frequent as the afternoon progresses and, in the late afternoon and evening, in the destination areas.

In the afternoon, there will also be some return journeys to the large urban centres, of a lesser magnitude than in the outbound direction, for those who finish their holidays in July and did not return on the weekend preceding this Wednesday.

In addition to these outbound and return journeys, there will also be the usual entry and exit journeys to and from towns and cities as it is a working day.

Meanwhile, from first thing in the morning on Thursday 1 August, especially between 9am and 2pm, there will be significant vehicle movements which will cause traffic problems and traffic jams leaving the large urban centres and also on the main roads to the tourist areas of the coast and rest areas, with these becoming more pronounced as the morning progresses, before reaching the destination areas late in the afternoon/evening.

As on the previous day, these movements will be joined by the usual movements of access to towns as it is a working day.

Caution on night-time journeys
Some drivers, following Traffic recommendations to avoid the days of mass journeys and the most unfavourable hours, decide to undertake the journey at night, for which it is necessary to take a series of precautions to enable them to make the journey on the best road safety conditions, as night driving, because it requires greater concentration in driving to be able to see the surface illuminated by the vehicle, as well as not being used to it, produces greater fatigue, tension and stress.

For this reason, Traffic recommends:

Before night driving:

→ Thoroughly plan your night-time itinerary.

→ Have the vehicle in good condition and ready, checking that the lights and indicators are working properly.

→ Clean the windows of headlights and indicators, windscreen, windows and rear window.

→ Get sufficient rest before starting the journey.

→ Eat a light dinner.

→ Refrain from drinking alcohol and taking medicines that are incompatible with driving.

When driving at night:

→ Reduce speed by about 20% of the permitted speed, as when driving with a low beam, the area illuminated by the headlights may be much less than the stopping distance.

→ Use low beams when passing another vehicle. If you are dazzled, use the line on the right-hand side of the road as a guide.

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→ If you need to stop on the road, look for a straight stretch of road with visibility, turn on your turn signals and use the V-16 hazard warning light or emergency triangles. Use caution when getting out of the driver’s seat, and prevent rear seat passengers from getting out of the vehicle through the left-hand door by getting out through the right-hand door.

→ Keep the vehicle ventilated, directing air from the interior of the vehicle towards the body and arms, never towards the eyes.

→ Listen to music or the radio.

→ Pay close attention to rainy nights, as mud and dust quickly accumulate on the vehicle’s headlights and indicators, reducing their visibility by up to 50%. Stop often to clean them.

→ Stop every two hours or whenever fatigue or drowsiness is observed, doing breathing exercises or walking, to recover the necessary capacity to drive. On very hot nights, make more frequent stops to hydrate, as the heat at night makes driving more tiring.

Each driver needs to identify the signs of fatigue that should alert him to a fatigued driving situation and thus avoid an accident. These signs can manifest themselves in the following ways:

• Drowsiness.
• Pain in the head, neck, back or legs.
• Itchy eyes, blinking or rubbing them continuously with the hands.

• Continuous change of position in the driver’s seat.
• Feeling very hot, thirsty or sweaty hands.
• Increased consumption of cigarettes, sweets or candies.

As always, Traffic also recommends planning the journey, and it is advisable to carry out a complete vehicle tune-up.

During the journey, you can find out about the traffic situation in real-time, as well as any incidents that may occur on the Twitter accounts @informacionDGT and @DGTes, in the news bulletins on radio and television and the 011 telephone number.