For your next vacation in Spain, you’ll probably need to bring… a rotating beacon. As of January 1, 2026, this device will replace the emergency triangle, indicates the DGT, Spanish Road Safety, information collected by local media. Roussillon Week.
This luminous and connected beacon must be available in the passenger compartment or in the trunk, to be placed on the roof of the vehicle in the event of immobilization, breakdown or accident, like the emergency triangle and safety vest in France.
The “V-16” type device emits an orange light visible up to 1 kilometer away, specifies a document in French published on the Internet by the DGT, and can also transmit the location of the accident site to the authorities. In this way, the report can be made using variable message signals when approaching the accident site and transmitted to connected vehicles compatible with this “DGT 3.0” service.
Less “dangerous” than the triangle
This new mandatory equipment aims to correct numerous defects observed through the use of the triangle.
“Currently, in the event of an accident or breakdown on a motorway or highway, it is necessary to travel on foot on the road to place the warning triangle 50 meters behind the damaged vehicle. Travel 100 meters (round trip to and from the vehicle) walking on the road represents an unnecessary risk,” explains the DGT.
Let us remember that in France the distance recommended by road safety is about 30 meters, which theoretically reduces this risk.
In the event of wind, rain or hail, the triangle can also fall to the ground and stop indicating danger.
Triangles are also often abandoned on the road by motorists who consider it too risky to recover them before leaving the immobilized place.
A quite revealing figure: 22 people died on average each year between 2018 and 2022 due to being run over after getting out of the vehicle.
What model to buy?
Therefore, you will have to equip yourself if you travel to Spain from 2026. In the event of an inspection, the fine can reach 200 euros and Spain would currently be the only country in Europe that would require the presence of a device on board, France points out. 3 Occitania.
You must make sure that it is a model compatible with the standard imposed by Spain, which is not necessarily the case for those launched before 2023.
A list is available on a specific page of the official DGT website, with a budget of about 40 euros.
When searching on an e-commerce site, many models are offered, but not all of them are necessarily compatible despite the mention “DGT V-16 approved” in the product name.
Be careful, check that they have this mandatory geolocation function by checking, for example, the certificate number in the list provided by the DGT.
Source: BFM TV
