Designed to circulate at higher speeds than on conventional roads, highways and highways have very similar characteristics, with both senses of circulation separated by mediums; and practically identical circulation standards.
Highways and highways are the most frequented and safe types of road, but high circulation speeds require the driver to respect the standards and maintain a maximum concentration to anticipate possible risks.
In Spain there are 15,500 kilometers of highways and highways that concentrate 80% of all kilometers per year and over 25% of all deaths and serious injured in accidents on the road: in 2023, 345 people died and 964 were serious injuries in claims occurred on these roads.
The highway is a high capacity road with separate roads for each direction of circulation, according to the magazine Safety and Road Traffic of the DGT. It has controlled exclusive accesses, so that it cannot be accessed from adjacent properties. In addition, it can be toll, in which case a variable rate must be paid according to the type of vehicle.
As explained by Western, the highway is also a high capacity road with separate roads for each direction, but does not meet the same requirements as the highway in terms of users and access. In addition, its use is free.
Among the common characteristics are that both have different footwear for each sense of circulation, separated by a median. Pedestrians are prohibited, in any circumstance, access and circulation by highways and highways. According to the DGT, in 2023 there were 57 dead pedestrians and 47 hospitalized because of the abuses on highways and highways, including drivers who left their vehicles per emergency.
Generally, the maximum speed limit is 120 km/h for cars and motorcycles. Respecting the maximum speed is essential. In 2023, there were 135 dead and almost 400 serious injuries in road exits on highways and highways, a type of accident directly linked to speeding and distractions: at 120 km/h, the maximum legal limit allowed for cars and motorcycles between Other vehicles may be necessary up to 150 meters to stop the vehicle. Buses and trucks have lower limits (100 and 90 km/h respectively). And cyclomotor, vehicles for people with reduced mobility and animal traction vehicles are prohibited from entry, as they do not reach the right speeds. Cyclists, banned on highways, can use the arcenes of the highways when there is no other alternative.
As for other circulation standards to be mentioned, the minimum speed can be highlighted. This is 60 km/h on highways and highways, so, before some emergency that forces to circulate below that speed, the driver must leave the road at the nearest exit.
The highways are specifically designed and built as high -speed roads, with wide curves and straight paths. The highways are usually the result of the transformation of conventional roads, so they can have more closed and less uniform traced curves.
The highways have fully controlled accesses, with clearly marked and separated entries and exits. They do not have direct access to adjacent properties. While the highways can have limited accesses to adjacent properties through service roads, and in some cases, they may have crossings at level.
It circulates on the right
The circulation is done by the right lane, changing only to advance. The DGT especially insists on this. It is essential to meet this standard on highways and highways: circulate through the lane further to the right and use the rest to advance. Thus, many dangerous situations derived from unnecessary lane changes or advances on the right could be avoided. Frontolateral collisions on highways and highways – propias of such maneuvers – caused 21 deaths and 108 serious injured during 2023.
It is important to maintain an adequate safety distance, due to the high speed at which it circulates. To do this, it is convenient to adapt to visibility conditions, that is, reduce speed in case of rain, ice, fog and wind.
It is forbidden to change their meaning, go back and stop in places other than those enabled for it. To exit, the detention lane is used, indicating again with the intermittent and starting to stop once inside the lane.
Vehicles that circulate on highways and highways have priority on those that are incorporated. But the norm also establishes the obligation to facilitate the incorporation whenever possible and safe, in order to make the safer and more fluid circulation, changing to the lane on the left if it is unoccupied or simply lifting the foot of the accelerator pedal for some seconds.
Not respecting safety distance is one of the most important driving standards and less respected, you just have to observe on the roads the separation spaces between vehicles left by many drivers.
At 120 km/h, they are necessary from two to three seconds of separation between vehicles -COing 1001, 1002, 1003 … with respect to a fixed point- to circulate without a risk of collision if, for example, there would be an unforeseen braking or a sudden retention. The rear and multiple collisions, often caused by not adequate separations between vehicles, caused 78 dead and 273 serious injuries on highways and highways in 2023.
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