Have You Seen the Red and Striped Squares on the Back of Vehicles?

If you have noticed these red and white squares, you might not realise that they signify something, and act as a warning to other road users, they are not just a fancy feature, but a practical device.

The square is a road sign, from the “V” category, and the official label is the V-20, a sign used to indicate that the load of the vehicle carrying protrudes from the rear, and, in some cases, to the sides.

Therefore, when we see this sign, we need to be aware of a number of factors and take the appropriate action. For example, modern vehicles have so-called “crumple zones”, where the vehicle will, by design, absorb the impact of a collision to reduce the energy before it reaches the occupants. There are also the direct “impact zones”, which, in general terms, we see protected by the bumper.

If a load is protruding beyond the physical dimensions of the vehicles, these protective elements can become reduced, as an impact could be between a lesser protected part of a vehicle, and the protrusion.

Therefore, the sign serves as a warning to vehicles behind that extra care should be taken, allowing even more distance between you and the vehicle in front to allow you to stop safely, and, in the case of a protrusion to the sides, also be aware that visibility may be reduced, and more lateral distance would be required to safely overtake.

According to regulations, if the load protrudes from the rear, this sign must be placed at the rear end of the load, perpendicular to the vehicle’s axis.

If the load longitudinally exceeds the entire width of the rear of the vehicle, the sign will be placed transversely, using two signage panels, one at each end of the protruding load, and displayed in an inverted V shape, identified with white and red stripes.

Since passenger vehicles are not used for transporting goods, the load cannot exceed the front floor of the vehicle. The Regulation allows the load size in these vehicles to exceed the rear by 10% if it is a divisible load, in other words, more than one single item, and 15% if it is indivisible. In both cases, the vehicle must display the V-20 sign at the rear of the load.

There is an 80 euro fine for not displaying the V-20, or displaying it incorrectly, and in the event that the sign is not needed, then it must be removed or covered.