Through roads run across urban land, but are interurban roads in their own right. Paradoxically, they are in no man's land since, as the DGT says, they are neither streets nor roads.
Driving on a through road can be problematic, according to the DGT itself, which dealt with this topic in an article in its magazine Tráfico y Seguridad Vial. Personal mobility vehicles (PMVs), for example, are not allowed on these roads. Because urban and interurban traffic mix, two ways of driving converge, so to speak. That, at least, is what Ramiro Martínez, director of the DGT's North-West Traffic Management Centre, stated in 2014. This caused, and still causes, problems.
In Castile and León, for example, road accidents on through roads claim the lives of almost six people every year, leaving a dozen injured. On the other hand, as El Norte de Castilla reported in 2020, they were a source of income for municipalities, thanks to the businesses that depend on this traffic. But in 2018 alone, 23 pedestrians lost their lives and 64 were seriously injured. On through roads.
As on other roads, the safe following distance is essential. Pedestrian crossings, intersections and various junctions can make it harder for vehicles to move. Overtaking on the right is permitted, provided there are two marked lanes in the same direction. And parking, on the carriageway or the hard shoulder, should be as close as possible to the right-hand edge (on one-way roads, also on the left-hand side).
The general speed limit for all types of vehicle is 50 km/h; this limit may be lowered by agreement between the Municipal Authority and the owner of the road, with specific signage. This remains the case after the latest amendment to the General Traffic Regulations in 2020.
Difference between a through road and other types of road
As for the difference between a through road and other roads, we will again refer to the Regulations:
- An urban road is any public road located within a built-up area, except a through road.
- A through road is a section of interurban road that runs across urban land.
- A built-up area is an area containing buildings, signposted at both its entrance and its exit.
- An interurban road is any road located outside a built-up area.