Estrechamiento de calzadaBruselas

Belgian warning signs A7a, A7b and A7c indicate a narrowing of the carriageway.

Belgium’s new Code of the Public Road takes effect on 1 June 2027. The warning signs for a road narrowing keep their existing numbers: traffic sign A7a warns that the carriageway narrows on both sides, traffic sign A7b indicates a narrowing on the left, and traffic sign A7c indicates a narrowing on the right. Their basic meaning therefore remains unchanged under the new Road Code.

Traffic sign A7a warns that the carriageway narrows from both sides.

Traffic sign A7b warns that the carriageway narrows on the left side in the direction of travel.

Traffic sign A7c warns that the carriageway narrows on the right side in the direction of travel.

No. A7a, A7b and A7c are warning signs. They do not indicate which direction has priority through the narrow section.

No. Drivers must respect the applicable speed limit and reduce their speed further when necessary for the width, visibility and traffic conditions.

In Brussels and Flanders, warning signs are normally placed approximately 150 metres before the danger. A supplementary panel indicates another approximate distance when necessary.

Traffic sign B19 requires drivers to give way to drivers approaching from the opposite direction.

Traffic sign B21 indicates that you have priority over drivers approaching from the opposite direction.

Yes. B19 is placed for one direction and B21 for the opposite direction. Under the current placement rules, they may be used where two cars cannot pass and the entire narrow section is visible from one end to the other.

No. You must slow down and give way when an oncoming driver is approaching. You may continue cautiously when the passage is free and no priority traffic will be hindered.

You should not enter when a driver with priority is approaching closely enough to be hindered. The B19 obligation does not disappear merely because you reach or enter the narrow section first.

No. Even with priority, the driver must approach cautiously and avoid entering when another vehicle is already in the passage or when continuing would cause an accident.

A driver whose passage is obstructed by an obstacle or another road user must slow down and, when necessary, stop to allow approaching road users to pass.

There is no automatic priority solely because one driver reaches the narrowing first. Both drivers must approach cautiously and avoid entering when they cannot pass one another safely.

Yes, when the movement requires a lateral displacement. Signal in time, check for following and approaching traffic and stop signalling when the movement is completed.

When traffic is flowing normally, changing into the adjacent lane is a manoeuvre and you must give way to its users. During strongly slowed traffic, the Belgian zipper-merging rule applies.

During strongly slowed traffic, drivers in the ending or blocked lane must merge only immediately before the narrowing. Drivers in the continuing lane must alternately allow one merging driver to enter.

Drivers in the continuing lane first allow one vehicle from the right-hand lane to merge and then one vehicle from the left-hand lane.

Under the current Highway Code, zipper merging is not legally classified as a manoeuvre, but drivers should use their indicators in time to make their intention clear and merge predictably.

An A7 sign does not itself prohibit overtaking. Overtaking is permitted only when sufficient width and visibility are available and no other prohibition, marking or safety rule prevents it.

No. Drivers must maintain at least one metre inside a built-up area and 1.5 metres outside a built-up area when passing a cyclist. When this is impossible, they must wait.

Drivers passing an obstruction around which pedestrians must enter the carriageway must leave at least one metre of free space. If this is impossible while a pedestrian is present, the driver may pass only at walking pace.

The A7 sign does not create an automatic prohibition, but stopping or parking is prohibited where it would clearly create danger or unnecessarily obstruct other road users.

Parking is prohibited when it would leave less than three metres of free passage on the carriageway.

On a two-way carriageway, parking opposite another stationary or parked vehicle is prohibited when this would make it difficult for two other vehicles to pass one another.

Under the current placement rules, A7 signs may be used for dangerous carriageway narrowings of at least one metre. A lane-sized narrowing must normally be signposted, except in residential areas and Zone 30 areas.

Yes. The Code of the Public Road taking effect on 1 June 2027 retains A7a, A7b and A7c for carriageway narrowing and B19 and B21 for priority at a narrow passage. It also retains zipper merging.