The subdelegate of the Government of Spain in the province of Toledo, Carlos Ángel Devia, presented this morning in the Delegation of the Government in Castilla-La Mancha the provincial road safety campaign "Peatones", promoted by the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) and which will take place from May 11 to 17 in different points of the province of Toledo.
Toledo.- The subdelegate of the Government of Spain in the province of Toledo, Carlos Ángel Devia, presented this morning in the Delegation of the Government in Castilla-La Mancha the provincial road safety campaign "Peatones", promoted by the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) and which will take place from May 11 to 17 in different points of the province of Toledo.
In the presentation, Devia was accompanied by the provincial head of Traffic and regional coordinator of the DGT, Francisco Javier Caparrini, and by the captain of the Civil Guard Chief of the Traffic Sector of Toledo.
The subdelegate of the Government has stressed that “urban and non-urban road traffic violations are a serious problem, but preventable and a priority for those responsible for traffic”, also recalling that “each traffic violation affects not only families, but also the social environment where it occurs”.
Carlos Ángel Devia has explained that the main causes that influence this type of accident are overspeed, distractions at the wheel, lack of visibility in pedestrian crossings, the invasion of spaces reserved for pedestrians and certain risky behaviors by the pedestrians themselves.
In this regard, he has warned that, so far this year, 37% of the fatalities recorded in the province of Toledo have been the result of atrocities. “This is a worrying figure that forces us to strengthen awareness and prevention,” he said.
The government’s deputy delegate has also launched a message aimed at both drivers and pedestrians. To the former, he has asked them to “respect speed limits, maintain full attention at the wheel and give priority to the pedestrian when appropriate.” To pedestrians, he has recommended that they always use the marked steps and avoid distractions.
It has also appealed to the urban areas and infrastructures of the municipalities so that the areas reserved for pedestrians “remain clear and safe”, avoiding situations that force pedestrians to invade the road.
Information and prevention campaign
For his part, the provincial head of Traffic of the DGT, Francisco Javier Caparrini, explained that this campaign has an eminently informative and awareness-raising character: “This is not a punitive campaign, but an information and prevention campaign whose only objective is to improve road safety.”
Caparrini recalled that pedestrians “are also part of road traffic and accident statistics”, noting that last year 20% of the people killed in traffic accidents in Castilla-La Mancha were pedestrians.
In addition, he warned of the increase in distractions caused by the use of the mobile phone and recalled that “the passage of pedestrians is not a life insurance”, insisting on the importance of always checking that you can cross safely.
The captain of the Civil Guard Chief of the Traffic Sector of Toledo has stressed that the campaign will address the safety of pedestrians from a double perspective: the protection of the pedestrian himself and the coexistence with the rest of the road users.
In this sense, he pointed out that the pedestrian is “probably the most vulnerable group” within the road environment, also remembering that “we are all pedestrians at some point in the day”.
During this week, the monitoring, control and information work will be intensified on crossings, pedestrian crossings, school areas and special pedestrian transit spaces, as well as on those roads where there is greater interaction between pedestrians and vehicles.
The provincial campaign will count, in addition to the Civil Traffic Guard, with the collaboration of the municipalities of Toledo and Talavera de la Reina.
