In 2026, Spain’s site visitors authority will make it obligatory for drivers to have the brand new V-16 emergency mild as a substitute of warning triangles, however it has already come below plenty of warmth from Spanish police.
From January 1st, 2026, passenger automobiles in Spain shall be required to make use of an emergency mild within the occasion of a breakdown or street accident, nonetheless it has been met with a lot criticism.
The Basic Directorate of Site visitors (DGT) first offered the V-16 emergency mild in 2021 and it is because of formally change the usual warning triangles in 2026, that means most of Spain’s 28 million drivers have to buying one by the beginning of subsequent yr.
The V-16 mild is designed to scale back the variety of accidents attributable to automobiles breaking down within the center or on the aspect of roads, in addition to cut back the variety of drivers being run over whereas they’re utilizing the warning triangles.
READ MORE: Everything drivers need to know about Spain’s V-16 light
Nevertheless, Spain’s Unified Affiliation of Civil Guard Police have criticised the effectiveness of those new lights already.
They declare that they’re not helpful on roads with a excessive variety of bends as oncoming drivers do not get the pre-warning {that a} triangle gives.
Moreover, they stress that the V-16 lights will not be shiny or seen sufficient throughout daytime hours, rendering them ineffective.
Up to now, Spanish Civil Guard officers have additionally spoken out on social media in regards to the risks of those lights.
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In a tweet from final yr, the affiliation mentioned: “In accordance with DGT research, many drivers have died after being hit by automobiles as a result of getting out to place down the warning triangle, however they do not know what number of accidents have been averted through the use of it. The brand new little mild is ineffective if the automobile is on the prime of a hill or after a pointy bend”.
Guardia Civil officers argue that the V-16 lights could not fulfil their function in sunlight hours as a result of their visibility not overlaying the total 360 levels.
It is because the obligatory depth for these lights is between 40 and 80 candela (mild depth models), which have to be has for not less than half-hour.
Subsequently, they don’t seem to be seen from a kilometre away throughout the day.
READ ALSO: The cheapest new cars to buy in Spain in 2025
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Some producers have been making V-16s with an depth of as much as 200 candela to counteract this. Sadly, this comes with one other situation in that it might be dangerous to the driving force’s eyesight if seen for an extended time frame.
In accordance with the DGT web site, V-16 lights have to be authorized or licensed and should even be linked to the DGT 3.0 GPS platform, which permits the precise location of a automobile to be despatched in actual time.
This connectivity is what’s elevated their value to round €50, one other grievance for drivers.
The DGT web site offers a listing of V-16 mild fashions which have already been approved.
In case you are shopping for a brand new automobile from a dealership in Spain, it’s advisable that you simply request the V-16 emergency mild to be included freed from cost.
Then once more, it’s possible you’ll wish to wait a bit longer to seek out out in the event that they must be tailored to counteract their present shortcomings.
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