There are actually very few nice traffic signs. Maybe the sign in Germany that says the right foot can go down, or the sign for bad road surfaces because your dad used to make bad dad jokes about that. And while this road sign may be less ominous than you initially thought, it is still a sign that could cost you money.
It is one of twenty new signs introduced in Spain last year. The sign is similar to ours for loose stones – one of the most annoying signs to encounter as an enthusiast, because the sound of stones hitting your paint and windshield goes through your skin. But in Spain this sign means something completely different.
This is the sign we know in the Netherlands for loose stones
The official name of this sign in Spain is R-120. The description is ‘prohibited access for vehicles based on distinctive environmental criteria or other environmental criteria’. Put even more simply: this sign in Spain indicates that an environmental zone is coming. Where we see pebbles, in Spain they mean the exhaust fumes from a car.
How much is the fine for the environmental zone in Spain?
On the Madrid website we read that the fine for entering an environmental zone with an unsuitable car can result in a fine of 200 euros. If you pay within twenty days, you get a 50 percent discount, so the fine is 100 euros. The requirements differ per environmental zone, so check in advance on the route where the zones are located and whether your car is allowed to drive there.
