Date Published: 28/02/2025

Three out of four drivers in Spain have no idea what this road sign means

Can you buck the trend and identify this obscure sign that is becoming increasingly common across Spain?

Do you recognise this interesting road sign at all? If not, don’t worry - it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a bad driver as it turns out three in every four motorists has no idea what it means.

First off, it actually originated in France in 2011 and although it has made its way to Spain and other EU countries, it’s still not used all that often. Secondly, it was only introduced here back in 2023, so it’s quite possible that the majority of drivers haven’t come across it yet.

For future reference, this is called the P33 road sign and it is replacing the old fog warning sign.

According to the DGT, the P33 warns of the “danger due to the proximity of a stretch where traffic is frequently hampered by a significant loss of visibility due to fog, rain, snow or smoke.”

But even though this would seem like an important warning to know about, a recent study concludes that 75% of drivers do not know the meaning of the P33 sign.

Keep an eye out next time you’re on the road, especially if you’re driving close to the city limits. It’s a triangular sign with a red border, like many warning signs in Spain, and it shows a car driving into parallel lines.

This sign can be confused with the sign indicating the proximity of a Low Emission Zone (ZBE), even though one is a prohibition sign (it is round) and the other a danger sign (triangular).

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Image: DGT

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