Every time we get behind the wheel it is essential to respect traffic signs to ensure safe and orderly travel. These visual cues play an essential role in traffic regulation. They can appear in the form of lines, symbols, figures, words or numbers marked on the pavement and come in three different colors: yellow, blue or white.
New signs are periodically added to the highway code to adapt road regulations to the changing needs of society and road conditions. With regard to road markings painted on asphalt, more than a year ago the General Directorate of Highways carried out the first experimental tests with dragon teeth and broken edge lines painted on various sections of the road network.
The dragon’s teeth, which were tested on the N-122, specifically in the Nava de Roa crossing (Burgos), are marks formed by white triangles painted between the lines that delimit the lane in the direction of traffic. Its mission is to alert drivers about an upcoming pedestrian crossing, indicating the need to reduce speed.
Since the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (Mitma) announced the dragon’s teeth and tested their effectiveness, these road markings have been extended to other roads. Nowadays they have become a fully recognizable sign for drivers, contributing significantly to awareness and caution in road traffic.
Various town councils have adopted this new road sign to warn drivers that they are traveling through a busy area. With this they intend that motorists take extreme precautions and adjust their speed, thus contributing to improving road safety and preventing possible incidents in areas with high pedestrian traffic.
The AMPA of the Blanca Fernández Ochoa Secondary Education Institute in Madrid published a message on its X account (formerly Twitter) to report the new road signs painted on the Monasterio de el Paular street next to the educational center.
This is the first step taken by the Madrid City Council in response to the demands of those responsible for the institute, who have insistently requested a zebra crossing in front of the access doors to the center and the installation of speed bumps.
The dragon’s teeth painted between the line that separates the two traffic lanes alternate between white and yellow with the aim of drawing even more attention from drivers when driving through an area where the presence of pedestrians is significant.
These road markings that are increasingly present on the roads will soon be accompanied by new signs designed by the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT). This is a set of 15 new signs to which we must add fifty that have been updated with new icons that will come into force when the Royal Decree to modify the General Traffic Regulations is approved.
According to the DGT, this update aims to “facilitate the visibility and understanding of the messages transmitted by the signals.” Some of these new signs refer to personal mobility vehicles, among which are electric scooters and electric vehicles.
