Warning triangle: placement and rules

Where, how far away, and when the triangle is legally required.

You will learn, among other things:

Where to place the warning triangle
When a triangle is required
Before you get out of the car
On a motorway, stay behind the barrier

Shows the warning triangle set out behind a stopped car, which is the core of the lesson.

Once the triangle is out, call 112 if anyone is hurt or the road is blocked, and say where you are first.

Rule

Where to place the warning triangle

If your vehicle has stopped where it can obstruct or endanger others, set out the warning triangle. No distance is fixed in law. The guidance is at least 100 metres, and further where speeds are higher. What matters more than the number: if your car sits beyond a bend or a crest, put the triangle before it, so drivers meet the warning before they meet the car. Stand it upright and clearly visible, on its own base or against something stable, on the same side of the road as the car.

Heads up

When a triangle is required

A warning triangle is part of the car's equipment, and the driver is responsible for carrying one. This applies to ordinary passenger cars, not only to buses, taxis and heavy vehicles. You must place it out when: • your vehicle stops on the carriageway or the shoulder and cannot be moved at once, and the speed limit there is above 50 km/h or stopping is prohibited; • your vehicle stops at a level crossing; • you park on a carriageway outside a built-up area for some reason other than a breakdown, and weather or darkness makes the car hard to see. ⚑ Older guidance sometimes says a triangle is optional in a private car. It is not. Trafikförordningen 3 kap. 57 §

Checklist

Before you get out of the car

Place the triangle far enough back that drivers are warned in good time at the speed of that road — no distance is fixed in law
Use the warning triangle when a stationary vehicle poses a danger to other traffic
Position the triangle so it is clearly visible in time for other drivers to react
Turn on hazard lights at the same time as setting out the triangle
Legal requirement applies in breakdowns, accidents, or other stops obstructing traffic
Stay safe and visible (wear a hi-vis vest) when placing the triangle

Exam trap

On a motorway, stay behind the barrier

When stopping on a motorway: never place the triangle on the actual carriageway. Set it on the shoulder and walk behind the barrier if there is one, passing cars can lose control and the triangle won't protect you from being struck.

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