Portable hazard warning devices, better known as emergency triangles, are part of the elements that must be carried in the car. This is indicated by the General Vehicle Regulations. The basic function of this accessory is to warn the rest of motorists of the presence of a vehicle stopped on the road due to having suffered a mishap, such as a breakdown or any other emergency.
Although it is an element that seeks to improve road safety, sometimes it can have the opposite effect, because it forces the driver to leave the car to go to place it at the required distance: on two-way roads, you have to put one in front and one behind, at least 50 meters away and so that they are visible at 100 meters; on motorways and dual carriageways you only need one, also 50 meters behind the vehicle, since on these roads the two-way carriageways are separated by median.
Although the driver must put on a reflective vest to be seen when leaving the vehicle in order to avoid abuses, sometimes, this measure is not enough and ends up having a fatal outcome. The deputy director of circulation of the Directorate General of Traffic, Ana Blanco, explained to Europa Press after participating in a round table at the Motortec Automechanika Fair, that in 2018 “more than 20 people died on highways and highways as a result of this type of abuses “. According to official data of Traffic, last year increased from 208 to 303 deaths on highways, of which 20% were pedestrians.
To put an end to the danger for people of having to place the triangles in the road, the DGT plans to replace this fault or accident warning element with light signals that would be placed on the roof of the vehicle, the most visible place of it. The change will not be immediate, but it is expected to arrive in 2025. During this time the triangle would be progressively replaced by another means of light signaling. Currently, the regulation only recommends the use of a luminous device as an optional element.
The normative project would reform the aspects of how the user should behave in case of breakdown or request for help after an accident. If we are forced to stop the vehicle on the road due to a mechanical impact, after activating the warnings, it is important that all occupants leave safely and are in a protected place. We should never walk in the lane of circulation to go to place the triangles. It is necessary to walk by a place that offers us greater security. Once we reach the right distance, we will place the pre-signaling element when the traffic allows it. After that, we will only have to wait for the arrival of the technical assistance service.