The DGT is not going to fine for the V-16 beacons at the moment, and therein lies the key
Since last January 1, anyone who is stranded on the road due to a breakdown has to place the V-16 beacon connected. And what happens if I don’t have it? Absolutely nothing. At least that is what the Government assures. Because, with the law in hand, the agents can fine us if they consider it appropriate. We also don’t know how long this “truce” will last. “It is not tax collection”. This is what Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated in the press conference in which he gave the results of the road accidents relating to 2025. The DGT has made public the accident data for last year but a good part of the press conference has revolved around the topic of the moment: the connected V-16 beacon that the DGT has been required to carry since last January 1. The agents, Grande-Marlaska assures, will not fine for a “reasonable” period of time, in words reported by The World. They do it because, they say, “our objective is not sanctioning or collecting, what moves us is the obligation to save lives.” “Reasonable”. It is the temporary measure that the Minister of the Interior has used to refer to the time that the agents have before fining. The word says nothing because, really, from January 1, 2026, Traffic can fine us for not having the corresponding signage elements. The fine is 80 euros and it does not take into account whether we carry the triangles with us because the only essential element in the car when signaling an accident is the connected V16 beacon, which must be approved by the DGT. And the triangles have been left in a kind of limbo so that the driver can do with them whatever he considers. Not now. The position of the DGT has changed over time. Since it was confirmed that the V-16 beacon would be the only signaling element of a road breakdown, the discourse has changed and its position has been relaxed. At first it was argued that the use of triangles could be grounds for a fine since an incident was not being correctly signalled. Now, Interior says that there will be a period in which fines will not be imposed for this. Later it was left up in the air whether the beacon+triangle combination was valid. Finally, it will be allowed put the triangles “at your own risk”. many doubts. In his speech, Grande-Marlaska pointed out that last year more than 100 people died on the road, “a significant number for getting off to put up the triangles”, in words reported by Motorpassion. In The World They point out that estimates point to 25 pedestrians dying while trying to put the triangles in what Grande-Marlaska describes as “bleeding.” However, as we have said in Xatakathe DGT has never offered clarifying data. Traffic has always classified these victims as people run over “after getting out of the vehicle” but without clarifying under what circumstances. They do not indicate whether they were hit when getting out of the car, putting the triangles on, changing a tire on the shoulder or waiting for help to arrive. According to their accounts, between 2018 and 2022 (a period that includes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic), an annual average of between 18 and 26 people died in accidents “after getting off the vehicle” on high-capacity roads. as reflected in the document itself which explains why the regulations and technical requirements of this connected V-16 beacon are changed. Taking the total number of deaths in this entire series (8,615 people, according to data from Statista), we are talking about just over 1% of deaths that fall into the category “after getting out of the vehicle.” No fines but no extensions. The result in the application of the measure has been paradoxical. From the Interior they say that the measure is “essential” to reduce the number of road accidents but omitting its use or not having the beacon will not be penalized despite there being no extension. And, at the same time, Traffic defends that it has not implemented an extension because it is something that has been known since 2023 and that we should have already purchased the device. According to Pere Navarrodirector of the DGT, “we considered delaying it” but that “would not have changed anything.” Also left to the driver’s discretion whether or not they want to put the triangles in despite the fact that they consider it a sufficient risk to promote a regulatory change. And they recognize that something has been done wrong with the communication of the new measure. Photo | DGT and Help Flash In Xataka | The V-16 beacon business: who is making money with the elimination of the DGT triangles