Virginia Barcones presents the special traffic operation on the October 12 bridge

• The General Directorate of Traffic foresees 820,000 road trips in Castilla y León, of which 62 will travel through the province of Zamora • The Government delegate has reminded drivers of the need to comply with road safety regulations to avoid more road deaths • So far this year 93 people have died on the roads of Castilla y León

October 10, 2023.- The Government delegate in Castilla y León, Virginia Barcones, presented this afternoon in Zamora the special traffic operation on the occasion of the October 12 bridge. This operation starts tomorrow Wednesday and will last until next Sunday. During this period, 820,000 trips are planned on the roads of Castilla y León.

Virginia Barcones has been accompanied in the presentation by the subdelegate of the Government in Zamora, Ángel Blanco; the lieutenant colonel and head of the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard in Castilla y León, Francisco Iturralde; and the regional coordinator of the General Directorate of Traffic, Inmaculada Matías; and the provincial head of Traffic in Zamora, Alfonso Ibáñez.

The General Directorate of Traffic launches a special traffic operation on the occasion of the Puente del Pilar, which begins tomorrow Wednesday at 3 p.m. and will be operational until midnight on Sunday, October 15.

For these five days, Traffic foresees 820,000 trips along all the roads of Castilla y León, so the circulation will be increased with long-distance trips to rest and tourist areas of coast and mountains; short-distance trips to areas of second residence and leisure close to large urban centers; as well as trips to populations that celebrate their patron saint’s holidays, mainly in the Autonomous Community of Aragón.

For this reason, during this period of time, Traffic launches a series of traffic regulation, management and monitoring measures. The aim is none other than to ensure the safety of citizens when travelling by road and to avoid risks as far as possible.

Virginia Barcones recalled in this regard that so far in 2023 there have been 94 deaths on the roads of Castilla y León. That figure is 6% less than last year for these same dates. In Zamora, there are 11 deaths in traffic accidents. Those 11 deaths, which account for 11.7% of the total number of deaths in Castilla y León, are two fewer than last year.

The government delegate has pointed out that, although the data may seem cold, every life lost on the road is more than a figure. “We are talking about a drama for a family, friends and acquaintances of the victim. It’s a torment somewhere in our geography,” he said.

For this reason, he has made an appeal to society. Specifically, to the people who get behind the wheel and to those who travel with them. “Calm at the wheel, comply with traffic recommendations and road safety standards. It’s better to arrive ten minutes late to our destination than never before,” he said.

The provincial displacement data are as follows:

DISPLACEMENTS CASTILLA Y LEÓN EL PILAR 2023 (from 11 to 15 October 2023)

Travel
Ávila	90,000
Burgos	119,000
León	98,000
Palencia	82,000
Salamanca	82,000
Segovia	107,000
Soria	49,000
Valladolid	131,000
Zamora	62,000
Castile and Leon	820,000

Due to all these movements, Traffic insists on drivers complying with road safety regulations. Of course, the use of safety belts and child restraint systems is mandatory. It is forbidden to consume alcohol and drugs if you take the wheel.

The government delegate recalled the importance of keeping a constant eye on the road, of avoiding actions that cause distraction at the wheel. “That little amago of picking up the phone or of diverting the view from the road, that little distraction of a second can cost us our lives,” he said.

In this regard, he recalled that last year, 36.5% of those killed in a traffic accident (54 out of 148) lost their lives due to a distraction. “So far this year at least 41 people have lost their lives because of a distraction on the road,” he added.

Linked to the distractions is the accumulated fatigue. Therefore, in case of a long trip, it is advisable to take breaks every two hours of driving since fatigue in driving is a cause of accident. It is also advisable to take a light meal before getting behind the wheel and be informed at all times about the state of traffic.

With a view to facilitating mobility and fluidity on the roads and, of course, ensuring the road safety of all, the operation has the maximum availability of the human resources available to the Agency, almost a thousand agents of the Civil Guard Traffic Group, as well as staff of the Traffic Management Centre and personnel responsible for the maintenance of equipment and the installation of measures on the road, as well as personnel of the emergency services.

Likewise, all material resources will be deployed in Castilla y León. 86 fixed speed control radars, of which 24 are section radars, 97 mobile radars that can be loaded into ATGC vehicles, 24 cameras and 1 camouflaged van for mobile use control and seatbelt.

The DGT also has helicopters and drones for monitoring from the air and unmarked vehicles and motorcycles that will circulate on all types of roads in order to check the correct behavior of drivers during driving.

TRAFFIC FORECASTS AND MEASUREMENTS

The traffic forecasts prepared by Traffic contemplate that in the early hours of the afternoon of tomorrow Wednesday, there will be significant movements of vehicles at the beginning of the festive period (especially between 16 and 22 hours), which will cause high intensities and problems of circulation in the direction of departure from the large urban centers, as well as in the main roads of communication to the tourist areas of coast and rest, second residence and towns at party.

The intense traffic in the direction of departure will continue from the first hours of the morning of Thursday 12 (mainly between 9 and 14 hours), with special incidence on the accesses and crossings of the towns in which that day is celebrated. In the afternoon you will also be able to observe return movements in the accesses to large towns as it is the next working day.

On Friday, the usual movements of entry and exit of the large urban centers will occur as it is a working day and, already in the afternoon, exit movements will originate mainly towards the areas of second residence by the beginning of the weekend.

On Saturday the 14th, intense traffic will continue in the morning (especially between 10 and 14 hours) in the direction of departure from the large urban centers at the weekend, on short trips to areas of second residence, leisure and recreation close to urban centers.

Finally, in the early hours of Sunday afternoon (especially between 16 and 23 hours the return of this special operation will begin, presenting circulation problems in the main roads that channel the entire return movement.

Therefore, with the aim of promoting traffic in the most sensitive areas in each of these five days, the DGT has planned different traffic management and regulation measures, among which are the installation of reversible and additional lanes with cones in the hours of greatest traffic flow and the establishment of alternative itineraries.

Likewise, the works on the roads will be paralyzed, the celebration of sports tests and other events that suppose the occupation of the road will be limited and the circulation of trucks in general and those who transport certain goods in certain sections, dates and times will be restricted.

You can consult the entire device in https://www.dgt.es/es/el-trafico/recomendaciones/operaciones-especiales/

DRIVING TIPS IN FALL

To tackle driving in the best conditions of road safety during the autumn, a climate transition season in which adverse weather phenomena can suddenly appear that surprise us on the road due to lack of habit after the summer period and in which, in addition, the nights are extended, thus increasing the risks of accident as the night driving is more dangerous than the one done for the day, it is convenient to take into account a series of very simple tips.

• Before embarking on the journey, it is advisable to fine-tune the car for the autumn with a review.
• During the trip, if unfavorable weather conditions arise, it is important to maintain prudence and, as a general rule, slow down and increase the safety distance. On long journeys, it is better to stand in a resting area and wait for the conditions to improve.
• In case of fog, rain or at night turn on the passing lights (and the fog in your case) always respecting the essential rule of “seeing well and being seen”. Also increase the safety distance with the front vehicle.
• Always inform yourself of the possibility of adverse weather conditions on the road through the information provided by the State Meteorological Agency and also plan the trip on the safest route to avoid unforeseen events, informing yourself of the state of the roads through the twitter accounts @informacionDGT and @DGTes, the newsletters on radio and television, as well as on phone 011, and use the alternative itineraries proposed if necessary.

Before concluding, Virginia Barcones thanked the General Directorate of Traffic for the effort it makes to make our roads as safe as possible, to avoid victims on the asphalt. “They carry out their work with tremendous responsibility, a task that requires the collaboration of all the users of the road,” he concluded.