On the European continent, so far the innovation has been introduced only in Spain, but due to its relevance, almost all other countries of the European Union may soon resort to it.
The new prohibition sign resembles the familiar warning triangle for “ loose gravel”, but here the graphic is on a white background with a red circular border. Round dots fly from under the car. The purpose of this sign is explained in detail by the Spanish edition AS.
The R-120 sign belongs to the group of prohibitions. It is installed on the streets in the urban area and designates a low emission zone where cars with high exhaust gas content are prohibited from entering.
This is not a whim of the Spanish government, but a response to Directive 2058/50/EC of the European Parliament on air quality. Under the Climate Change and Clean Energy Transition Act, the document requires cities and municipalities with a population of more than 50,000 to establish a low-emissions zone.
The new road sign R-120 is used for this purpose in Spain. The symbol with a car and dots on a white background in a circular form of a prohibition sign also appealed to other EU countries. There they are already studying the experience of the Spaniards and foresee the introduction of the sign in the near future.
The requirements for the low emission zone are prescribed by European legislation. Some vehicles, depending on the type of fuel and the year of first registration, have a restriction on access to the city center at certain times and on certain days.
To improve visual control, car owners must put a sticker on the windshield that meets certain environmental requirements. Although there is no law requiring a sticker to be placed on a car's windscreen, the EU has recommended that there should be.