On some older Spanish two-way roads, the M-5.5 is painted just before the centre line becomes continuous. Drivers who continue overtaking across that solid line risk a penalty of up to €200 and four points on their licence, the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) warns.
Known as a flecha de retorno, or return arrow, the white curved marking is placed among the final metres of a broken line. It gives drivers advance notice that the stretch where they may cross into the opposing lane to overtake is ending. The marking is identified as M-5.5 in the road-sign catalogue and appears in Norma de Carreteras 8.2-IC, issued in 1987.
If the arrow appears while a driver is passing another vehicle, the instruction is to return to the correct lane as quickly as possible. That may mean completing the overtake or abandoning it in favor of the next broken-line section; the choice should be the quicker option that presents less risk to everyone using the road.
The DGT’s remit also covers vehicle registration. Spain excludes vowels from registration plates, and the next letter series is expected to be P in 2027, although no date has been confirmed in this number-plate explanation.
