As of: February 10, 2024, 7:25 p.m
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Delineator posts on the side of the road serve as traffic signals.
For example, they indicate when there are side streets, where emergency telephones are and how sharp a curve is.
Guide posts, boundary posts or “roadside bollards” – the black and white pillars have many names and just as many functions.
They are not just there for decoration, but are also intended to guide traffic, delimit the road and provide certain signals to drivers.
Depending on how the pillars, which are defined as traffic signs 620 in the catalog of fines, look and are arranged, they indicate to road users, for example, curves, side streets or animal crossings.
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Markings on guide posts: What colors and shapes of reflectors mean
If you usually just speed past guide posts, you might not even notice the small differences.
However, if you take a closer look, you will notice that not all of these pillars look the same.
They differ in their respective markings, which each have their own meaning.
First of all, there are usually guide posts on each side of a road.
These have a white tip, a black area in the middle and a white base.
There are reflectors on the black surface, the color and shape of which represent traffic information.
On the right side of the road, the reflectors on the black surface have an upright rectangular shape.
If the pillars are on the left side of the road, you can basically see the back, where there are two round reflectors.
When visibility is poor, drivers know where the road ends on both sides and which side of the road they are on.
The markings on guide posts have different meanings.
Orange indicates side streets.
© Imago
If, on the other hand, the reflectors on the guide post are orange, according to Auto-motor-und-sport.de
there is
an entrance behind them or an opportunity to turn into another street.
Junctions are marked on both sides by orange reflectors.
If there is also a blue reflector attached to the side of the guide post, this is a warning of possible wildlife crossing the road.
In areas where there is a lot of snow, some guide posts also have a black-yellow-black pole as an extension upwards in case the actual post is covered in snow.
Black and white guide posts: What the light and dark areas mean
Not only the color of the reflectors, but also the black and white surfaces on guide posts have a meaning.
The black area in the middle of the pillar is arranged at an angle and always leans towards the street.
The same applies to the upper edge of the guide posts, which are beveled towards the middle of the street.
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Triangle markings can also be found on some pillars, especially on remote country roads or motorways.
These point either to the left or to the right and, according to
Praxistipps.chip.de
, indicate which direction you have to walk in order to reach the next emergency call box.
Some triangles also have a receiver symbol or the letters SOS.
Distance from guide posts: 50 or less – what that means for traffic
The guide posts themselves, with their markings and reflectors, are already traffic signs that are intended to help road users.
But the positioning of the pillars is also important for drivers.
In Germany, the pillars are usually located at least 50 centimeters away from the road and at a distance of 50 meters from each other.
According to
Bußgeldkatalog.org
, they are intended to help you estimate the minimum distance on a straight route.
For example, if you are traveling at 100 km/h, you must at least maintain the distance between two guide posts and the car in front of you.
In curves, guide posts are closer together to help with navigation.
According to
Echo24.de,
you can follow the rule of thumb: the closer the pillars are together, the tighter the curve.
By the way: If you accidentally drive around a guide post, it is considered an accident.
Accordingly, you must secure the scene of the accident and report the collision to the police.
Anyone who continues driving and leaves a damaged or lying guide post behind is committing a hit-and-run according to Section 142 of the Criminal Code.