A warning triangle is part of the mandatory equipment of every vehicle. Probably every driver knows that. But there are a lot of question marks about its use in the event of an accident or immobility of the vehicle. Let’s take a closer look.
You may encounter many unexpected situations on the road. These include those that can (temporarily) immobilize your car. For example, a collision with animals, a flat tire, an unexpected failure, or a collision will not please you. And if you don’t mark the vehicle correctly in such a situation, your mood can be spoiled by a fine.
Location of the warning triangle
If you have the opportunity, try to park your vehicle as close as possible to the right edge of the road. There, you are in much less danger of being overlooked by someone than in the fast left lane. If the current technical condition of the vehicle allows it, switch on the hazard warning lights immediately to warn other drivers of an obstacle on the road. Leave it released at least until you have placed the warning triangle. Before getting out of the vehicle, don’t forget to wear a reflective vest.
When placing the warning triangle, you must follow §26 paragraph 3 of Act 361/2000 Coll. It says that the warning triangle must be located at the right edge of the road at least 50 meters behind the vehicle. The motorway is 100 meters away. If you can’t easily estimate the distance of 50 m, you can step on it. We assume that the average step of adult measures about 75 cm. Thanks to this, you will know that you just have to walk 70 – 80 steps away from the car and build a triangle there.
If you are unable to operate the car yourself, you should take an active part in removing it from the road. Either a professional towing service or even a friend who will come for you and tow you on a rope can help you with that. Until then, you should think mainly about the safety of yourself and others.
Warning triangle for slow vehicles
A special category is the warning triangle for slow vehicles. This must mark all vehicles with a maximum design speed of 40 km / h. These are, for example, tractors or other agricultural and forestry machines.
The warning triangle must have such vehicles on the rear half of the vehicle in the left half. The lower edge of the triangle must be at least 250 mm above the ground and the highest apex must not be higher than 1 500 mm above the ground.