From January 1, 2026, all drivers will have to change the danger warning triangles to one approved V16 beacon.
Like the triangles, this device is used when a vehicle has suffered an accident or … emergency situation that requires the driver to stop on the road. The difference between one and the other is that with the tag The driver must not travel a certain distance in the middle of the road since he must place it in the highest part of the vehicle or in that with the greatest visibility.
Nowadays, millions of drivers in Spain buy their beacons and some even test them. However, some have detected that the light intensity varies between models and, therefore, not all are the same. The creators of the V16 tag talked about it, Jorge Torre and Jorge Juan Costasin an interview with ABC.
The creators of the tag explain why not everyone has the same visibility
The two civil guards emphasize that the differences are due to the fact that “the regulations left a very wide margin.” According to him, “the bottom ones are a little loose“But a more premium beacon, a little more expensive but of better quality, is visible from much further away.”
“The regulations leave a very wide margin. The bottom ones are a little loose.”
Jorge Torre and Jorge Juan Costas
Creators of the V16 tag
Torre and Costas consider that “If we always buy the cheapestwe avoid the fine, we wear what the DGT requests, but they cannot be equally visible“. Regardless, the entrepreneurs insist that the scenario has always been the non-obligation to climb the triangle and expose yourself to traffic because, if one day they find a car stopped on the road, “the regulations themselves already force you to reduce your speed”.
“If we always buy the cheapest, we avoid the fine, we wear what the DGT requires, but they cannot be equally visible”
Jorge Torre and Jorge Juan Costas
Creators of the V16 tag
They explain that it’s not just about the highway code but also warning many drivers to be careful if the door opens or another situation arises in which they need to react: “That’s what we forget. I particularly believe that it is not necessary to have a highly visible light on the car except at night. So, they insist that if you see a car stopped on the highway “you know someone is there, no one needs to tell you, and therefore you will have to slow down” because “that is a basic principle of responsibility.”
Another topic of debate regarding beacons is their price, which is between 30 and 70 euros. The creators explain that they will not become “millionaires” since they now earn a little more than in the Civil Guard and explain that there are up to 250 approved tags from which the consumer can choose.