The four mandatory regulations of the DGT when there are works on the road

The General Directorate of Traffic ensures everyone’s safety, not just drivers. Also from the civil guards themselves and, to a large extent, from the workers of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda who are on the road working on construction sites. In this sense, the DGT looks for the correct fulfillment of the norms to avoid abuses and other accidents.

In this way, the body that governs traffic in Spain proposes four key guidelines so that those workers who are on public roads are safe and protected, although the most important is common sense:

• Exercise extreme caution, since the works are notified hundreds of meters before they are in it.

• Reduce speed: As in the previous point, the company that executes the work has the obligation to warn you, so you will have time to slow down.

• Respect the signaling: Fundamental for everyone, both for drivers and operators.

• Keep a lateral distance: If you see a work on the shoulder, avoid sticking to it and leave enough space so that it can be carried out without problems.

For us to understand and as explained by the DGT, “works on the road are understood to be all those that take place on the road platform, its functional elements and other affected areas for which authorization from the road owner”. And each work needs authorization from the DGT, of whatever nature.

There are exceptions

As in everything, there will always be exceptions. It will not be necessary to notify the works on the road that do not require any type of occupation of the road or hard shoulder or only affect the following land:

• Service roads, understood as roads built to facilitate access to adjoining properties or, in general, as auxiliary or complementary elements of the specific activities of the owners of said properties.

• Forest roads and cattle routes classified as such by their specific legislation.

• The highways and roads of state competition that are part of the Viario Annex to the State Highway Network.

How to know if there are works where I am going to circulate

Up-to-date traffic information, as well as the incidents that you can find on the roads while driving, can be found on the DGT website. This page is constantly updated automatically with the information entered 24 hours a day by the Civil Guard Traffic Group and those responsible for the Traffic Management Centres.

The content of these pages is purely informative. You can get more information on the 011 phone.