Safety on conventional roads is the pending issue of the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT). This type of road accounts for 70% of deaths in accidents on interurban roads and, as Tráfico highlights, the majority of these accidents occur due to avoidable infractions.
To address this problem and promote safer driving, the institution led by Pere Navarro has spread a message on social networks that identifies the five most dangerous behaviors and offers guidelines to avoid them through responsible driving. This message is presented through an educational video, which recreates risk situations on the roads and provides practical advice to mitigate them.
The stop sign is one of the most familiar signs for most drivers. But even so, the R-2 sign (mandatory stop) remains one of the most ignored at intersections, significantly increasing the risk of collisions. When a driver faces a stop sign, he must stop his vehicle in front of the stop line or, if it does not exist, just before the intersection, and give way to all vehicles traveling on the road ahead. the one that approaches.
Excessive speed is one of the main risk factors on the road. One in five traffic accidents with victims can be directly related to excessive speed, according to the DGT. In the video that Tráfico publishes on its social network account
This case is applicable to all types of vehicles, but Traffic focuses on motorcycles given the high number of accidents in which these two-wheeled vehicles have been involved in recent years. A significant fact: according to 2022 figures, in Spain 11% of the vehicle fleet were motorcycles, but 23% of those killed in traffic accidents were users of this vehicle.
The DGT reminds that, in addition to respecting the speed limits, for safe driving it is necessary to adapt the speed to the route, the state of the asphalt, the atmospheric conditions and heavy traffic.
Driving too close to the vehicle in front of us can cause a collision if braking is necessary. Therefore, a protective separation must always be left on the road. The DGT establishes that this distance must be at least two seconds difference between vehicles. To calculate this distance, what is called protective separation, we are advised to pronounce the figures 1,101, 1,102…, with respect to a fixed point on the road.
However, this separation distance must be increased in certain cases. For example, if you are driving at higher speeds, on wet asphalt, with poor visibility or when there are intermittent traffic jams.
Head-on collisions, due to the invasion of the oncoming lane by one of the drivers, are a common type of accident on conventional roads. Distractions, fatigue or tiredness can cause you to leave the road, enter the wrong direction or have a head-on collision.
The DGT calls on motorists to maintain concentration on driving at all times, remembering the importance of taking breaks every two hours or in case of fatigue. Furthermore, it highlights the need to keep the cell phone out of reach to avoid the temptation to manipulate it while driving, since this behavior, in addition to being punished with a fine of 200 euros and the loss of 6 points on the license, constitutes one of the main factors of road accidents.
Overtaking in unauthorized areas, at inappropriate speeds or without maintaining an appropriate safety distance, significantly increases the risk of an accident. Therefore, to undertake a safe overtaking, it is essential to verify that the maneuver is going to be carried out in an area where overtaking is permitted and to do so following rules that do not endanger road safety.
