2023-08-11 11:00:02
Traffic signs have the mission of warning, informing, ordering or regulating the behavior of drivers on certain circumstances of the road or circulation. This is why knowing its meaning perfectly is absolutely essential before starting to drive, in this way we will avoid causing accidents through our fault and car accidents that could have been avoided. In Spain, traffic signals are included in article 144 of the General Circulation Regulations (RGC), which classifies them as agent signals, circumstantial and beacon signals, traffic lights, road markings and vertical signals -the latter are the popularly known as “traffic” signs. In the order of priority on the roadare the second most important group of signals, after those of the agents, according to the DGT.
It is made up of very diverse signals, such as reflective, luminous, metal, concrete or plastic…, which fulfill multiple functions: from small reflectors on the edge of the road to mobile barriers or cones that delimit reversible, additional or additions, of particular importance in the installation of special rails, where about 90 cones are used per kilometer.
The RGC classifies these circumstantial and beacon signals into two different types according to their utility: barrier devices and guide devices.
barrier devices
The barrier group includes fixed and mobile barriers, provisional directional panels, flags and cones, fixed red lights and yellow lights. They are for temporary or permanent use, depending on the circumstances they signal: the passage of a train, a vehicle ferry, damage or obstacles on the road that impede movement, such as works or a landslide. Except for the yellow lights, the others are predominantly red and white.
The fixed barrier prohibits the passage to the other side, it can close one lane or several, and even an entire road. It may be accompanied by other circumstantial signals, such as steady red lights. The fixed red light, like the previous ones, also prohibits the passage. In this case, it signals the total closure of the roadway to traffic (see the illustration above this text).
The billboards serve to regulate circulation in specific areas, such as the surroundings of sports stadiums, demonstrations, races or popular festivals… In the case of the provisional directional panel, like the previous sign, the directional panel also prevents passage and also informs the direction of traffic to be followed.
The mobile barrier or semi-barrier prevents passage when they are lowered or in motion. They are usually used at level crossings and in vehicle boarding areas. The barriers are usually accompanied by one or two flashing red lights. And the flags, cones, fixed or flashing yellow lights indicate a real or imaginary line on the road that is prohibited from crossing. They serve to mark obstacles on the road, to delimit additional lanes and lanes in the opposite direction to the usual one.
guidance devices
They are the milestones, permanent directional panels, reflectors, flat and cylindrical beacons and side barriers. They are permanent and orient and guide the driver to circulate within the road and lane. They mark the edges of the road, the presence of curves and the direction of traffic. They are especially useful in low visibility conditions (at night, in fog…). In addition, the Traffic Regulations also include variable message panels between circumstantial and beacon signals.
In the case of edge milestones, these are posts located on the edges of the road to mark its limits. They have reflectors to make them visible at night, yellow or white on the right and white on the left. They can complement other devices, such as guardrails. Vertex markers are frequent beacons on motorways and dual carriageways to mark forks that are located at the point where two lanes separate. Its front part is semi-cylindrical, with two triangles of retroreflective material.
There are also horizontal and barrier reflectors, devices fixed to the asphalt, at night they reflect the light of the headlights and give visibility to the edges of the lanes and the safety barriers. Guardrails are metal barriers that prevent vehicles from leaving the road. They can incorporate a metal skirt to avoid serious or even fatal impacts by motorcyclists.
The flat and cylindrical beacons mark the limits of the road, bridges, walls and other obstacles on the road. The cylindrical ones mark a line that must not be crossed and reinforce other signs and security measures. The permanent directional panel indicates to drivers the presence of a specific danger, usually a curve and its direction. If the curve is sharp and dangerous, it can be marked with two and even three superimposed panels. And the side barriers can be mobile, semi-mobile and transportable, made of concrete or plastic, which channel traffic and prevent vehicles from leaving the road.
#beacon #signals #exist