On January 1, 2026, it becomes mandatory to carry the V16 beacon connected in the car. Pere Navarro, general director of Traffic, has shed some light regarding the DGT’s decision on the device. And a few days ago confirmed that the agents will act flexibly during the first months, prioritizing information about the sanction. The statements come just after the DGT itself has recognized communication failures of this measure.
The date does not move, but the fines will wait. Navarro reiterated that the regulations comes into effect as plannedand that is something that had been announced for five years. But he also clarified that the agents “will be flexible, for a time, informing” the drivers before starting to sanction. The objective, according to the director of the DGT, is to “consolidate this system” without generating a barrage of fines from day one.
Mea culpa from Traffic. Montserrat Estaca, head of the Telematics Area of the DGT, publicly acknowledged in statements to 20Minutos that “we have not done the job well” in terms of disseminating the measure. He admitted that many citizens are unaware of the mandatory nature of the connected V16 beacon and that communication has been insufficient. Until now, the DGT has only reported through the media, without sending direct communications to drivers as it did with environmental labeling.
Why this change now?. The replacement of the triangles with the V16 beacon seeks to prevent drivers from having to get out of the vehicle and walk along the road to signal a breakdown. Navarrese provides data: Between 20 and 25 people die every year after being run over after abandoning their car, although it recognizes that not all cases are directly related to the placement of triangles. The new device is placed on the roof of the vehicle without leaving the passenger compartment and emits a light signal visible up to a kilometer.
Not all beacons are valid. Here is one of the big problems: many drivers bought V16 beacons a long time ago, but not all are approved. Only connected V16 beacons are valid, those that incorporate a GPS chip and SIM card to connect to the platform. DGT 3.0 and transmit the position of the vehicle in real time. Connectivity must be guaranteed for a minimum of 12 years without additional fees. Offline beacons, mostly sold before 2022, do not comply with the regulations.
How to know if your beacon is legitimate. The key is in the certificate number. Before buying, you must verify on the DGT website that the product has valid approval. The official list includes all devices certified by the IDIADA or LCOE laboratories. Simply enter the certificate number in the search engine to confirm that the beacon meets the technical requirements. Without this step, it is easy to fall for misleading offers, especially on platforms like AliExpress or Temuwhere we can find both approved products and others that are not.
Price is not everything. Although the OCU places the usual price around 40-50 eurosthere are specific offers that reduce the cost up to 10 euros for new users on certain platforms. Stake defend that the expense is acceptable, commenting that divided by 12 years of guaranteed connectivity, “it amounts to just three or four euros per year.” In addition, he also highlights that if you change vehicles, “you can take the beacon from one vehicle to another as you could do with triangles.”
The beacon does not solve everything. Navarro too warns that “there are those who think that by installing the V16 everything is over. No. This is simply to notify that a kilometer and a half away there is a vehicle stopped on the road due to an incident. It is not for anything else. You still have to call your insurance company to have the tow truck come and remove the car or fix the damage. One thing does not replace the other, let’s make no mistake”
Its limitations in broad daylight. The DGT itself recognize that the beacon works worse with natural light. Estaca admitted that “the worst they work is in daylight,” when their visibility is reduced to about 50 meters, the same distance as a traditional triangle. In adverse conditions (fog, rain, night), the flashing light gains effectiveness. Traffic’s commitment also involves trusting in digital connectivity, allowing other drivers to receive the warning through their browsers before arriving at the area of the incident.
Spain, world laboratory. The country will be the first in the world to mandatory implement a system of connected beacons. The European Commission follow the experience closely in Spain with a view to there being changes in the rest of the countries. Navarrese presume of the system as “a Spanish invention” and asks for patience to evaluate its real effectiveness once it comes into operation.
What vehicles are required. The norm It affects passenger cars, buses, vans, goods transport vehicles and non-special sets registered in Spain. Motorcycles, special vehicles such as agricultural machinery, bicycles, scooters and cars with foreign license plates are exempt, which may continue to use triangles.
Fine if we don’t have it. Although there will be initial flexibility, as claimed Navarro, the fine for not carrying the beacon will be 80 euros, the same as is currently applied for not having triangles. In addition, using triangles will also be punishable from January 1, since Traffic considers that they pose a risk of being run over. The DGT has not confirmed how long exactly the grace period will last before starting to sanction systematically. It would also not be advisable to tempt fate.
Cover image | DGT
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