The Special Traffic Operation 1 August 2024 will take place in the Valencian Community between 15:00 hours on Wednesday 31 July and 24:00 hours on Thursday 1 August. The General Directorate of Traffic has planned 3,100,000 long-distance journeys, of which 368,280 are in the area of the Valencian Community. In total, during the two summer months, there will be more than 12 million trips on the roads of the Community.
“The road doesn’t care how much you drank. Only zero has zero consequences” is the slogan of the summer campaign of the Directorate General of Traffic. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, alcohol is the second cause of fatal accidents, with 29%, only behind the distractions with 31 and ahead of the inadequate speed, with 23%.
The provincial head of Traffic of Valencia, Pilar Funez, reiterated “the importance of zero consumption of alcohol and drugs, no mobile and respect the speed limits” and reminded citizens “that respect for safety standards is a choice for everyone, which must be taken every time you drive”. From 19 to 25 August, the Directorate-General for Traffic will launch a special Speed, Alcohol and Drug Control Campaign.
The Chief Colonel of the Traffic Sector of the Civil Guard, Francisco Javier Sánchez-Ferragut, for his part, has insisted on “maintaining the safety distance and making correct use of the lanes, using the left lane only to advance, in order to guarantee fluidity”.
The last campaign, on the occasion of the festival of Santiago in other communities, recorded three fatalities in three accidents in the Valencian Community. Sánchez-Ferragut has assured that “the Security Forces and Corps are going to work to ensure safety and fluidity on the roads” and has insisted on the importance of “complying with traffic rules to avoid victims”.
During the month of July, 12 people lost their lives on the roads of the Valencian Community. They are two more fatalities than in the same period of 2023 and nine of them traveled by motorcycle. According to data from the General Directorate of Traffic, so far this year, 20 motorcyclists have lost their lives on the roads of the Valencian Community, four more than in the same period last year. Eight in Alicante, three in Castellón and nine in Valencia.
Crash plan to reduce road accidents
The Ministry of the Interior is going to install 95 new fixed control points on the roads, 13 in the Valencian Community, within the crash plan to reduce road accidents. During the month of July, 11 new speed control points, six fixed and five section control points have been launched on the roads of the Valencian Community.
With the new kinemometers that have been put into operation this month, the Comunitat Valenciana has 90 kinemometers in operation (78 fixed and 12 Tranche).
Operation Passage of the Strait
It should also be remembered that the Special Strait Crossing Operation, which constitutes a large movement of people by road, is in operation. In 2023, it allowed the passage of 3,219,534 people and 775,359 vehicles, with more than 11,084 rotations by sea between Europe and Africa.
The start and end dates of OPE 2024 are, for the exit phase: from June 13 to August 15; and for the return phase: from July 13 to September 15. Therefore, both phases would affect this Special Operation 1 of August, increasing the number of long-distance movements in the A7 and the AP7.