Meet The Angry Emoji: Spain’s Newest Traffic Sign Could Land You A €200 Fine

If you’ve been driving astir Spain lately, you mightiness person spotted thing caller staring backmost astatine you astatine a group of traffic lights– a agleam yellowish sign, complete pinch a very cross-looking emoji. No, it’s not a joke. This is nan S-991C, nan latest invention from Spain’s postulation authorities, and it intends business.

After much than 20 years of sticking to nan aforesaid aged road signs, nan DGT (that’s nan Directorate-General for Traffic) has gone connected a refresh spree, updating much than 110 signals crossed nan country. The S-991C stands out, though—not conscionable for its animation face, but for what it intends for your wallet and your licence. Ignore it, and you could beryllium waving goodbye to €200 and 4 precious points connected your licence.

How Spain’s caller reddish ray cameras drawback drivers successful nan act

Let’s beryllium honest, we’ve each been tempted to nip done nan lights conscionable arsenic they move amber. But pinch nan S-991C around, you’ll want to deliberation twice. This small motion is your heads-up that there’s a red-light camera waiting to drawback you out.

Here’s really it happens: arsenic soon arsenic nan ray flicks to amber, nan camera gets ready, and erstwhile it’s red, it snaps 2 photos—one arsenic you approach, and 1 arsenic you cross. If nan camera sees you’ve ignored nan signal, you’ll beryllium getting a good done nan station earlier you cognize it.

And it’s not conscionable Madrid aliases Barcelona rolling these out. In nan past year, nan large cities person installed dozens of these devices, and much are popping up each complete Spain. The numbers are only group to turn arsenic councils person a afloat twelvemonth to bring their roads up to date.

How to debar a €200 good from Spain’s caller postulation signs

So, really do you enactment connected nan correct broadside of these angry faces? You don’t request to beryllium a motoring expert—just support your wits astir you. If you spot amber, slow down. Spot nan S-991C motion and retrieve you’re nether nan watchful regard of a camera. And don’t separator complete that achromatic statement conscionable because you’re successful a rush. Take a activity and hold for green—it’s cheaper and a full batch little stressful.

Of course, not everyone’s thrilled pinch these caller rules. Driver groups for illustration AEA and Dvuelta person kicked up a fuss, arguing that nan fines are heavy-handed and that immoderate cases person moreover been overturned successful court. So, if you find yourself connected nan incorrect extremity of a punishment and deliberation you’ve sewage a case, it’s worthy keeping your paperwork and making a calm appeal.

Stay crisp and prevention your wallet

Love it aliases dislike it, nan angry emoji is present to stay. It’s each portion of Spain’s push to support its ever-busier roads successful check, particularly arsenic scooters, e-bikes and impatient drivers crowd into metropolis centres. So adjacent clip you’re sitting astatine nan lights, don’t gamble—take it easy, enactment alert, and support that €200 for thing you really want to walk it on.

Stay tuned pinch Euro Weekly News for much news from Spain