Spain’s DGT shelves its Christmas Campaign for first time ever as COVID-19 sees reduction in holiday journeys

SPAIN’s transport agency, the DGT has announced that it will be suspending its usual Christmas campaign for the first time in it’s history thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the first time, the DGT will replace its normal Christmas messages with the simple statement, ‘Evite acabar en el hospital‘ or ‘Don’t end up in hospital.’

The change in message has been issued thanks to the travel restrictions still in place due the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DGT and the Guardia Civil are not foreseeing the large number of long distance trips this year to second residences.

“We are aware of the importance of concentrating all the messages around the coronavirus because it is what we have to do this year,” said Pere Navarro of the DGT.

“Therefore, from the DGT we only want to convey a single, very simple, easy-to-remember message that can be applied both to the health pandemic as for the pandemic of traffic accidents.”

The message will appear on roadside digital display boards as well as on social media platforms as a hashtag and on various advertisements across print and web media platforms.

Despite the change in Christmas message, the DGT has reminded drivers that the usual surveillance will still be present on major road networks across Spain,.

“We will still continue to perform the usual checks to prevent the four main causes of accidents, alcohol, distractions, speed and drugs.” said Navarro.