End of the road for emergency warning triangles in Spain?

SPAIN’S national roads agency has announced plans to bin the breakdown and emergency warning triangles that it is currently obligatory to carry in all vehicles.

The DGT, instead, plans to introduce ‘more visible’ amber flashing lights to warn of dangers on the road by 2025.

Current legislation requires drivers to place reflective warning triangles 50 metres ahead and behind vehicles that have come to a stop on the carriageway.

The initiative comes after more than 20 people were reported to have been killed while placing emergency triangles in the road in 2018 – despite a requirement to wear a reflective vest when leaving the vehicle.

The DGT plans indicate that the new amber flashing warning lights would be placed by vehicle drivers ‘on the most visible part of it’ – normally the roof.

It is understood the warning triangle will be gradually phased out ahead of 2025 but, in the meantime, the DGT has reminded occupants of the obligation to wear reflective vests when exiting the vehicle and find a ‘protected place’ away from the carriageway ideally behind a crash barrier.

They continue: “You should never walk in the road to place the triangles.”