Spanish roads get more white circles as early trial changes biker behaviour

White circles are already appearing on Spanish roads, with markings now visible at the Collada de Toses in Girona and on the B-124 in Barcelona province. An earlier trial was carried out around the Pantano de Foix, also in Barcelona province.

The unusual markings are part of a road-safety experiment designed to influence the way motorcyclists take bends. With authorities now monitoring how riders respond, drivers should not be surprised to encounter similar markings on other roads in the future.

One early result from the newer Catalan trial suggests the markings may already be influencing behaviour: 65 per cent of observed motorcyclists followed the suggested line.

Spain is testing the idea on selected conventional roads, following similar experiments in several European countries. The thinking is simple: encourage riders to take a safer line through a corner and reduce the risk of crossing into the path of oncoming traffic.

What do the white circles mean?

Anyone seeing the large white circles for the first time could easily wonder whether they indicate a new rule or restriction. They do not set a speed limit, create a stopping zone or ban motorcycles from part of the road.

Instead, they act as a visual guide. Riders are encouraged to position themselves so they travel around the outside of the circles, helping them follow a safer trajectory through the bend.

That is important because conventional roads account for around 75 to 80 per cent of fatal motorcycle crashes in Spain. According to traffic-safety research, 46 per cent of those deaths involve motorcycles leaving the road.

Spain follows an Austrian experiment

One of the strongest arguments for the markings comes from Austria. Austrian road-safety organisation KFV introduced white elliptical markings on 19 dangerous bends in Tyrol in 2019.
Follow-up research through the end of 2021 found an 80 per cent reduction in motorcycle injury crashes at the treated locations, with four personal-injury incidents recorded across the 19 sites.

Spanish authorities have been examining the same principle. An early Spanish pilot took place around the Pantano de Foix, while more recent installations at Collada de Toses and the B-124 show that the experiment has not simply disappeared.

Initial monitoring of the newer Catalan markings found that around 65 per cent of observed motorcyclists followed the suggested line. That figure measures rider behaviour, rather than proving a 65 per cent reduction in crashes.

What should bikers do?

Motorcyclists approaching one of these bends should not treat the circles as something to dodge at speed.

Reducing speed before entering the corner, staying within the correct lane and looking towards the exit of the bend remain the basics. The markings are there to reinforce that safer approach.

Similar road markings have been tested in Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Scotland and Australia, while Spain’s trials could help determine whether the idea is suitable for more conventional roads.

For now, white circles are still a relatively unusual sight on Spanish roads. But with trials already taking place at several locations, road users may well encounter them in other areas as authorities look at new ways of reducing motorcycle crashes on difficult bends.