Grace period is over as Spain cracks down on V16 emergency beacon rules
DGT Spain says faulty, flat or non-approved devices are treated the same as having no beacon at all
Drivers in Spain are now officially being fined for failing to comply with the country’s V16 emergency beacon rules after traffic authorities confirmed that the transition period is over.
The Spanish traffic authority, the DGT, says enforcement has now stepped up and drivers who do not carry a compliant beacon in their vehicle could face an €80 fine.
The same fine also applies to motorists who break down or stop on the roadside and fail to properly signal their vehicle using the beacon.
Importantly, the DGT has warned that having a faulty device is treated exactly the same as not having one at all.
That means drivers could still be fined if the beacon has a flat battery, no battery fitted, is damaged or simply doesn’t work when needed.
Traffic authorities are also cracking down on so-called “pirate” devices being sold online and in some shops. These may look like official V16 beacons but are not legally approved for use in Spain.
For a V16 beacon to be fully legal, it must be an approved connected model capable of sending the vehicle’s location directly to the DGT traffic system. The device must also appear on the DGT’s official list of authorised products.
The V16 beacon is replacing the traditional warning triangles because the idea is that drivers no longer need to get out of the vehicle and risk being hit by traffic when there’s a breakdown or accident.
Instead, motorists are expected to place the magnetic beacon on the roof of the car from inside the vehicle where possible.
The rules apply to most vehicles in Spain including cars, vans, buses and goods vehicles. Foreign-registered vehicles driving in Spain can still legally use warning triangles for now, but Spanish-registered vehicles are expected to comply with the V16 system.
Although there is still some legal debate surrounding the rollout of the devices, the DGT has made it clear that fines are now very much a reality.
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Image: AEA
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