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

On an urban road bathed in sun, White triangles are taking shape on the ground and seem to shrink the road as we advance. It is neither a work of contemporary art nor a simple road marking, but an innovation that could-perhaps-one day revolutionizing road safety. Called “dragon teeth ”, This signaling from Spain intrigues as much as it impresses.

Optical illusion

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

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 teeth” were deployed on main roads and supplemented by zigzag patterns before certain pedestrian passages. The first observations show a significant drop in vehicle speed in these tested areas. This success already arouses the interest of other European countries, including France.

While certain road safety measures are based on stress or sanction, “dragon teeth” bet on a more subtle and psychological approach: by modifying the perception of space, they influence the behavior of drivers without it either necessary to impose fines or to install expensive devices. Skillful!

In France, the idea has already appealed to the road safety authorities which plan to test this marking on certain national urban roads. If the Spanish results are confirmed, It is not excluded that these “dragon teeth” become a key element of the French road landscape in the near future. It would be the first time that such subtle marking has arrived in France, for the good of all.

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