The Government delegate in Cantabria, Eugenia Gómez de Diego, has inaugurated this Saturday an exhibition commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard, highlighting its “essential work” in road safety and protection in Spain, and its constant adaptation to social and technological changes since its creation in 1959.
“The Civil Guard is a fundamental reference in the protection of our society, built on values such as honor, integrity and commitment. Today we pay tribute to the Traffic Group, which has been essential to reduce road accidents and guarantee safety on our roads during these six decades,” said the delegate during the inaugural ceremony, held at the headquarters of the Cantabrian Defense Delegation, in Plaza de Velarde de Santander.
The exhibition, which will be open to the public on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 December, offers a visual tour of the historical evolution of the Traffic Group through its uniforms, vehicles and material. It can be visited free of charge from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00 on Saturday, and from 10:00 to 14:00 on Sunday.
During the event, the delegate reviewed the transformation of Spanish society and roads in this period, recalling that in 1958, with barely 700,000 vehicles in circulation, 1,711 deaths were recorded due to traffic accidents. “Today, with nearly 9,000 agents and an exponentially larger vehicle fleet, Spain has made significant progress in reducing road accidents, thanks to the effort and professionalism of the Civil Traffic Guard,” he said.
In Cantabria, the Group was established in August 1960 with detachments in Santander, Laredo, Torrelavega, Reinosa and San Vicente de la Barquera, which are still active.
In addition, Gómez de Diego has valued the pedagogical role of the agents, focused on awareness and prevention, beyond the denunciation, to ensure road safety.
185 women
Another of the aspects highlighted by the delegate during the inauguration was the progressive incorporation of women into the Traffic Group. Since the arrival of the first agents in 1991, their presence has grown significantly, reaching 185 women in positions such as motorcyclists, attestations and management. This year, 41 women have started practices in unity, consolidating a trend towards equality.
The commemorative exhibition is, in the words of Gómez de Diego, “a tribute to an institution that has been able to adapt to the times without losing sight of its objective: to protect the lives of those who transit our roads”.
The event was attended by the provincial head of Traffic in Cantabria, José Miguel Tolosa; the colonel head of the Civil Guard in Cantabria, Antonio Orantos; the head of the Traffic Sector of Cantabria, Rubén Flores, and the superior head of the National Police, Carmen Martínez, as well as the president of the Parliament, María José González Revuelta, the Councilor for the Presidency, Isabel Urrutia, and the mayor of Santander, Gema Equal.