The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) in Spain is considering prohibiting the use of the signal triangle on highways and roadways or more roadways, roads where traffic intensity is higher and vehicles circulate more quickly. This hypothesis arises after the DGT of Spain itself reconforms the parameters inherent to leaving the vehicle to place this signaling device.
It was Pere Navarro, General Director of Traffic in Spain, who confirmed that DGT is studying how it will be able, legally, to end the obligation to use the signal triangle on Spanish highways and expressways. Pere Navarro also points out that, not the United Kingdom and not Luxembourg, we will not eliminate this measure because these roads have many vehicles and the circulation is much faster. There, the United Kingdom eliminated this device precisely due to the increased risk of drivers being run over when leaving the vehicle to place the triangle.
Second advanced data from the DGT itself in Spain, only last year, 16 people were run over after two six vehicles were killed.
Help Flash is an alternative
Since July 2021, in Spain, the triangles can legally be replaced with the Help Flash device. This same signaling and security device, when equipped with geolocation, will be mandatory from January 1, 2026, when the triangles will no longer be used under Spanish regulations. Or that DGT is now proposing to end the use of the triangle in the aforementioned roads before the planned deadline.
O caso português
In Portugal, the signal triangle and the reflector tail continue to be of mandatory use. In the national case, the Help Flash device is a complement to the triangle resource, which allows you to signal the presence of the vehicle before leaving or leaving to mount and place the triangle at a regulated distance. In these cases, activating the Help Flash will be able to mitigate the risk of being run over or accidentally hit by another vehicle traveling on the same road.
