The DGT’s new P-35 sign warns of a weaving lane ahead. Credit : X – DGT
Ask most drivers what a triangular warning sign means and they’ll probably answer without thinking. Sharp bend. Roundabout ahead. Slippery road. But show them the P 35 sign, with its two cars and crossing arrows, and many are left scratching their heads.
That uncertainty is exactly why Spain’s Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) introduced it into the country’s official road sign catalogue. The sign warns drivers that they are about to enter a weaving lane, a stretch of road where vehicles joining a motorway and those preparing to leave it have to share the same space before going their separate ways. It might not sound particularly dramatic, but misunderstand the rules and the consequences can be expensive. Failing to respect priority can lead to a €200 fine and, in some cases, the loss of up to four points from your driving licence.
The layout itself is not new. Drivers have been using weaving lanes for years. What is new is the sign warning people that one is coming, and many motorists are only now discovering what it actually means.
The sign looks simple enough but it catches many drivers out
The first reaction many people have when they spot the P 35 sign is to assume it is another version of the familiar merging traffic warning.
It isn’t.
A weaving lane works differently because two manoeuvres happen at the same time.
One driver is trying to join the motorway while another is trying to leave it. For a short distance, both vehicles use the same lane before their paths separate.
If you’ve ever found yourself accelerating onto a motorway while another car suddenly moves across towards the exit you were aiming for, you’ve already experienced this situation.
The difference is that the P 35 sign tells you it is about to happen before you get there.
The DGT introduced the sign after updating Spain’s official vertical road sign catalogue in 2025. It normally appears between 150 and 500 metres before the weaving lane begins, giving drivers enough time to prepare.
Its design follows the standard warning format used throughout Spain.
It has a red border, a white background and two black cars connected by arrows that cross in the middle. The image is intended to show exactly what will happen ahead. Two streams of traffic will briefly overlap before separating again.
Once you understand the meaning, the sign is fairly straightforward.
The difficulty comes when drivers are unsure who should move first.
Who has priority? The answer is not always what drivers expect
This is where many motorists get caught out.
It is easy to assume that vehicles already travelling on the motorway always have priority. In most situations, that is true.
However, weaving lanes are governed by the normal priority rules set out in Spain’s General Traffic Regulations, and those rules depend on what each driver is doing.
A vehicle joining the motorway must normally give way to traffic already using it.
However, if a driver leaving the motorway has already started moving into the weaving lane, that vehicle takes priority over one that is still entering.
The DGT also offers practical advice rather than simply quoting the regulations.Drivers leaving the motorway are encouraged to ease off the accelerator slightly so they can move in behind the vehicle joining the road.
Meanwhile, motorists entering the motorway should build up speed positively, where conditions allow, so they can merge smoothly ahead instead of remaining alongside another vehicle.
Good timing often matters more than sudden braking.Using indicators correctly is equally important.
The signal should be activated before changing lanes, giving other drivers enough warning to react safely. Waiting until the manoeuvre has already started defeats the purpose.
Motorists travelling on the main carriageway also have a role to play.
Whenever traffic conditions allow, moving into the next lane can create valuable space for vehicles joining the motorway. If changing lanes is not possible, reducing speed slightly can make merging much easier and help avoid sharp braking.
A moment’s hesitation can quickly become an expensive mistake
The P 35 sign may be new, but the penalties for ignoring the rules are well established.
Drivers who fail to respect priority in a weaving lane can face a €200 fine, while more serious infringements may also lead to up to four penalty points being removed from their licence.
For many motorists, the greater risk is not the fine itself but simple confusion.
Road signs become so familiar over time that drivers often react automatically without really looking at them. A new sign breaks that habit.
That is exactly why the DGT believes the P 35 deserves attention.
Motorway traffic is already moving at high speed, leaving little time to make decisions. When several vehicles are trying to change lanes within a short distance, uncertainty can quickly turn into sudden braking, missed exits or near misses.
The sign is not asking drivers to learn a completely new rule.
Instead, it serves as an early reminder that the next section of road demands a little more attention than usual.
Spain’s road network continues to evolve, and the country’s road signs evolve with it. Even experienced motorists who have spent decades behind the wheel occasionally come across a symbol they have never seen before.
The P 35 is one of those signs.Learning what it means now is far easier than trying to work it out while travelling at motorway speed with cars joining from one side and leaving from the other. It could also save drivers from an avoidable fine and make one of the busiest parts of the motorway a little safer for everyone using it.
