Do you know about the dragon's teeth, this new marking that will deceive your eyes ?

© Spanish Ministry of Transport

On a sun-drenched city road, white triangles appear on the ground and seem to narrow the roadway as you move forward. It is neither a work of contemporary art nor a simple road marking, but an innovation that could – perhaps – one day revolutionize road safety. Named “dragon teeth”, this signage from Spain is as intriguing as it is impressive.

Optical illusion

The idea is simple but ingenious: to play on the visual perception of drivers to encourage them to slow down naturally. These white triangles are arranged in pairs along the roads and create an optical illusion where the lane appears to narrow. Faced with this apparent narrowing, motorists will then instinctively adapt their speed, which will result in reducing the risk of accidents in sensitive areas such as the edges of pedestrian crossings or neighborhoods frequented by cyclists and pedestrians.

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Technically, these white triangles measure about 75 cm at their base and 60 cm in height. Their arrangement varies according to local needs, with between 9 and 17 pairs aligned on each side of the roadway.

In Spain, the first results are promising: the “dragon’s teeth” have been deployed on main roads and supplemented by zigzag patterns before certain pedestrian crossings. The first observations show a significant drop in vehicle speeds in these tested areas. This success has already attracted the interest of other European countries, including France.

While some road safety measures rely on coercion or punishment, “dragon’s teeth” rely on a more subtle and psychological approach: by changing the perception of space, they influence driver behavior without the need to impose fines or install expensive devices. Clever!

In France, the idea has already won over road safety authorities who are considering testing this marking on certain national urban roads. If the Spanish results are confirmed, it is not out of the question that these “dragon’s teeth” could become a key element of the French road landscape in the near future. This would be the first time that such subtle marking has arrived in France, for the good of all.

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