Crossings and their Warning Signs

There are four general categories of road signs in Spain, regulatory, precautionary, informative, and temporary.

Within the precautionary category, there are a series of signs which often cause confusion, which have the official cataloguing from P-5 to P-11, and refer to certain types of crossings.

Although most of the signs have a pictogram which gives some indication of the meanings, we will explain what each of them.

P-5 : Danger due to the proximity of a bridge that may be raised or rotated, temporarily interrupting traffic. It is represented by a triangle with a white background and red border, with a pictogram of a bridge being raised.

P-6 : Danger due to the proximity of a tram line crossing, which has priority. It is represented by a triangle with a white background and a red border, with a barrier pictogram.

P-7 : Danger due to proximity to a level crossing equipped with barriers or half-barriers. It is represented by a triangle with a white background and red border, with a train pictogram.

P-8 : Danger due to proximity to a level crossing not equipped with barriers or half-barriers. It is represented by a triangle with a white background and red border, with a train pictogram. It should be noted that this sign is being replaced with a more modern image of a train, so it is possible to see a different image in places.

As for P-9 and P-10, these signs accompany P-5, P-7, and P-8, by counting down the approach to the hazard, on the right and left of the road respectively.

P-9 will be on the right, with the diagonal bar leading upwards from the left to right. P-10 is the opposite, on the left, and diagonally down from the left to right.

P-11. Location of a level crossing without barriers.

P-11a. Situation of a barrier-free level crossing with more than one railway track.