From January 1, 2026we Spaniards must say goodbye to traditional emergency triangles. In the event of an accident or breakdown on the road, drivers must report the danger to the Beacon V16, the only legal device … starting next year for these cases.
With this new system, the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) seeks to “advance in the field of road safety and the reduction of accidents“. Until now, when a vehicle was stopped on the road, the driver had to place two emergency triangles, which required him to get out of the car and travel the road on foot, exposing himself to adverse weather conditions and the possibility of being hit by a car.
In the event of an accident or breakdown requiring the vehicle to be immobilized, the driver must activate the V16 beacon and place it on the roof of the car. From this moment, the yellow device emits “a 360º high intensity light intermittently and continuously”, as reported by the DGT, to warn other drivers.
Additionally, the beacon is equipped with connectivity, which means that when activated, transmit vehicle position in real time via the DGT 3.0 platform and other road users are informed of the situation.
Pedro Ruiz’s opinion on the V16 beacon
In any case, this novelty has generated some notice between the drivers. Some have complained about the cost of this device, which they doubt its real efficiencyarguing that this is not the case visible in all circumstances.
The creators of the V16 tag have spoken out precisely on this question, Jorge Torre and Jorge Juan Costasin an interview with ABC. According to them, “the regulations left a very broad scope”, therefore “the markers in the lowest part are a little loose, but the most primea little more expensive, but of better quality, we see them from much further away.
In recent days, many people have expressed their opinions on social networks regarding the mandatory use of this tag. One of the last was Pedro Ruiz. The actor and writer, used to giving his point of view on various current topics in Spain, also wanted to comment on this novelty for drivers.
In a message published on his social networks this Sunday, Ruiz informed his supporters of the entry into force of this device, already filing a complaint against the imposition of its use: “They force you to buy a tag to locate the position of the car during an incident.
They require the purchase of a beacon to locate the position of the car in the event of an incident. With our person, if you own an iPhone, they’ve already done this.
“Freedom without anger”!– Pedro Ruiz (@ElPedroRuiz) December 7, 2025
The author has been frank about the mandatory nature of this new hazard warning device, which he considers to be a somewhat unnecessary imposition, especially for iOS users. “With our person, If you have an iPhone, they already did it“, he emphasized, in reference to the function of cell phones of this brand to locate their location – and that of the user – at all times.
Ruiz did not further develop his thoughts on the V16 tag, but he wanted to end his message with a call for freedom in the face of a measure that he seems to consider somewhat excessive. “’Freedom without anger’!”he said, in direct reference to the song by the group Jarcha considered an anthem of the Spanish transition.
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