If you don't have a light V-16 attached to your car, you won't be able to get on the circuit starting in January 2026.

The car industry is preparing for the entry into force of a regulation that will make the emergency beacon associated with the V-16 mandatory on all vehicles on Spanish roads. Although there are many people who have acquired these beacons, there is still doubt and confusion about these devices being a legal substitute for emergency triangles.

Desde Help Flashthe leader in road traffic signalisation, answer some of the questions drivers have today about traffic lights and insist that from 1 January 2026 they will not be able to drive without them. V-16 attached Help Flash IoT in the car.

This means that in the next few months, more than 25 million cars registered in the country will be equipped with these devices. Well, the recommendation is to get the lights associated with the V-16.

¿Quélas luces V-16 required?

Although there are currently two types of beacons on the market, analog and connected, only the latter will be legal and mandatory from 2026. Therefore, when buying V-16, make sure it is IoT, lo que quiere decir que tiene una eSIM integrates NB-IoT (Narrow-Band Internet Of Things) technology.

How does the link work?

When the beacon is activated in case of an accident or malfunction, an immediate, automatic and anonymous notification is sent to the DGT traffic control center with its exact location and this information is shared in real time through the DGT 3.0 platform y del Punto de Accesso National a los demas usuarios de la via . In this way, you will be able to receive information about any event throughout your journey, this notification will be available not only in the variable information panels on the different roads, but also in the mobility applications los propios coches conectatos. In this way, conductors will not only be signaled physically through a light, but also signaled virtually, making it the safest signaling option.

Why is it proposed to connect beacons?

De acuerdo con la Directive MOV 2022/03the cost of the device's communications shall be included in the public sale price and shall be guaranteed for at least 12 years. Some models, as in the case of the Help Flash IoT, are offered to people who get it before they have to have additional connectivity at no cost during this previous year, thus getting connected devices between now and 2038.

How often does the device send information about my car?

This device will remain disabled until the user activates it due to an incident. Only activate the geolocation of the vehicle controlling the DGT traffic center. Information about the location of the accident vehicle will be sent every 100 seconds and will stop sending once the beacon is turned off.

¿Cómo saber si la luz V-16 can be combined in which homologue?

The only way to be sure we are getting a homologated V-16 is to visit web page de la DGT en la que están todas las marcas and modelos certificates. Help Flash IoT was by no means the first light V-16 in DGT related homologue.

In what ways should V-16 lights be used?

Although from January 1, 2026, any incident on any road must be signaled with a light connected to the V-16, its use is and will be essential, especially in the event of a breakdown or accident on a highway or autopista.

In fact, since last year, DGT has eliminated the obligation to place safety triangles on such roads. The use of emergency beacons tries to reduce the number of high accidents in cars and on highways.

Traffic accident figures for 2023, the last year on record, show the importance of using V-16 lights to reduce pedestrian accidents. According to DGT data, 21 of the 118 pedestrians who died last year were drivers and passengers of vehicles who got out of the car after having an accident on the freeway or highway; y otras 2 personas fueron arolladas tras sufrir un percance and un conventional carretera.

23% more than in 2022, when 16 pedestrians died under the same conditions; 14 autopistas and autovías and 2 conventional carreteras. In many cases, these accidents are caused by people getting out of the car to deploy the emergency triangles and then being run over by another car.

In an emergency situation, there are many advantages to the V-16 triangle triangle: it even has everything you need for living; se activan de forma simple; match vehicle types, including cars; y, además, they are suitable for people with limited mobility.