Dragon’s teeth and broken edge lines are the nickname that the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has given to the new road markings that will begin to appear on Spanish roads. Some signs that form triangles facing each other and convergent lines, which are already being tested in order to improve safety in urban crossings.
The new course in the DGT, after the passage of the summer campaign , has started with an important novelty that, yes, is not definitive. Still in the testing phase , to see how it affects circulation, the institution’s objective is to make clear the usefulness of this measure in order to expand it throughout the national territory.
Some road markings that are already being painted in some specific areas and that, yes, they always go together . In other words, when one mark appears, the other will follow (with a zebra crossing in between) in a clear design to warn drivers to slow down.
What are these new brands for?
With that purpose, to warn and brake , these new marks are a prelude to reaching an area where road conditions change compared to the previous section . Typically in urban settings, these signs can indicate proximity to a vulnerable crosswalk, a construction site, or adverse asphalt conditions.
First, the dragon’s teeth are spaced 1.5 meters apart from one to the next and 0.9 meters from one to the next. Without a certain number of them, placed at the beginning of the journey, “they force the driver to significantly reduce the speed of movement with respect to the previous section, while having to adapt driving to the new circumstances of the road environment. “.
For its part, the broken edge lines extend after a zebra crossing , which has more visibility, and along about 30 meters indicate that the “driver is approaching a particular section , so he will have to slow down”.
Of course, without accurately reflecting the speed at which it is necessary to reduce, so they are subjective , that is why they are still in the testing phase in order to see how they influence the driver. “The objective of the experimental sections is to check, prior to the incorporation of the new regulations, the effectiveness of the brands and the degree of perception and understanding by users,” says the Ministry of Transport.
Where are they getting?
At the moment, with an agreement with the Junta de Castilla y León, the first experimental section is located in the Nava de Roa (Burgos) crossing on the N-122, between km 293,652 and 294,356.
Fines
Since they are experimental, the Ministry of Transport and the DGT have made it clear that at the moment there will be no fines for failing to comply with these signals . It will be once the perception of drivers is seen and an exact regulation is made, when these marks may imply sanctions for those who do not respect them.
