Spain’s Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) changed the national traffic-light rules on 1 October under Real Decreto 518/2026, which amended the Reglamento General de Circulación to strengthen protection for vulnerable road users. As a general rule, a vehicle’s flashing amber signal may no longer coincide with a fixed green signal for pedestrians at a signal-controlled crossing. The change aims to reduce confusion and improve safety where drivers and pedestrians share the road.
Under the previous arrangement, vehicles could encounter flashing amber while pedestrians simultaneously had a green signal to cross. Drivers could interpret amber as permission to proceed cautiously, while pedestrians could reasonably take green as a signal to cross. The revised sequence separates the movements: when pedestrians have green, vehicles are generally required to face a fixed red light. The regulation states that flashing amber for vehicles may not coincide with fixed green for pedestrians and must be preceded by a fixed red phase. The rule does not eliminate flashing amber from every traffic-light installation; it bars the overlap as the general arrangement, while other sequences or justified exceptions may remain possible.
The national rule took effect on 1 October, but municipal authorities are responsible for adapting the programming at individual junctions, so the change has not necessarily appeared everywhere at once. Reports after the effective date said many crossings were still awaiting adaptation. The work involves reviewing signal networks and changing the relevant vehicle phases, while local authorities handle the technical work and its cost. Where the new sequence is installed, drivers must stop at a fixed red signal while pedestrians have green rather than proceeding under flashing amber.
The scale of that work varies by municipality. In Marbella, the city announced plans to adapt 32 signal-controlled junctions involving more than 300 traffic lights, at an estimated cost of about €100,000. The municipality had identified those 32 junctions from a study of 60 signalized intersections, illustrating how local engineering decisions shape implementation under a national rule framed as a general standard. In Santander, the PSOE asked the city to review its traffic-light network and adapt it to Real Decreto 518/2026, presenting the change as a way to strengthen pedestrian safety.
The update is part of a broader effort to modernize Spain’s road-safety regulations. In recent years, the DGT has introduced initiatives to improve mobility and reduce accidents, including stricter speed limits in urban zones and enhanced monitoring of high-risk crossings. The focus on traffic-light sequencing reflects the need for clear signals in complex urban environments. Similar transport-safety concerns have arisen in other contexts, such as when rail services were disrupted between Vic and Manlleu due to a fallen tree, showing why reliable infrastructure matters for public safety.
Spain’s traffic-light system has traditionally used green, amber and red phases for vehicles, alongside signals for pedestrians. The new rule changes how those signals may overlap: it aims to prevent vehicles from advancing under flashing amber while pedestrians have the right-of-way signal. As municipalities update their installations, the timing of the practical change may differ from one junction to another, even though the national standard took effect on 1 October.
