Compulsory Car Safety Beacons In Spain.  The V16 emergency warning light will become compulsory in Spain on the 1st January 2026.

Compulsory Car Safety Beacons In Spain

New safety warning beacons are being brought in to replace the warning triangles currently in use by motorists in Spain.  From 1st January 2026 every Spanish registered car, van, and minibus in Spain must have a V16 beacon inside.  Drivers without the beacon will face an €80 fine.

One of the main advantages of the V16 beacon is that it can be deployed without the driver having to leave the vehicle, attaching magnetically to the roof.  The beacon emits a 360 degree amber flashing light which can be seen a kilometre away.

Geolocation For Faster Response

The DGT approved beacons include geolocation technology and are connected to the DGT’s central traffic management platform.  This enables automatic location sharing when the beacon is activated.  The beacon transmits the vehicle’s exact GPS location to the DGT’s cloud system every 100 seconds.

The location sharing will enable a faster response in emergency and breakdown situations.  The DGT system will immediately alert emergency services, inform other drivers via roadside variable message panels, and adjust traffic warnings.

DGT Approved Beacons

The V16 beacon costs between €35 and €55.  Only those approved by the DGT may be used on cars in Spain.  You can see a list of these on the official website here. Many cheaper models won’t be compliant with the new regulations, as these are often the older, non-connected V16 beacons which lack the essential GPS/DGT 3.0 connectivity.

Published: 24.11.2025

Written by Dave James.