New requirements for equipping vehicles have come into effect in Spain, affecting all drivers, including Ukrainians living in or traveling through the country. Instead of the classic red warning triangles, modern V-16 signal beacons are now mandatory.
This is reported by Finway
Reasons for the Changes: Road Safety
The main motivation for implementing these new regulations is the need to enhance the safety of drivers and passengers in the event of an emergency stop. Under the old rules, drivers had to exit the vehicle to place the red triangle at a certain distance behind it. This often posed a real danger to life, especially on high-speed roads or in poor visibility conditions.
“The traditional triangle forced drivers to leave the cabin to set up the sign at a certain distance behind the vehicle. This often led to accidents on high-speed highways or in conditions of poor visibility.”
Features of the New V-16 Signal Device
The V-16 beacon, which is now mandatory in Spain, is installed on the roof of the vehicle without the need to exit the cabin. It emits a bright yellow light with a 360-degree viewing angle, making the vehicle visible to other road users even from a distance. One of the key advantages of the new equipment is the built-in geolocation system: after activation, the beacon automatically sends the precise coordinates of the stop location to the DGT 3.0 cloud-based traffic management platform. This significantly speeds up the response of emergency services and improves coordination during real-time assistance.
These rules apply to all vehicles registered in Spain. Failure to have the mandatory beacon can result in fines ranging from 80 to 200 euros, which is approximately 4,000–10,000 hryvnias at the current exchange rate. Ukrainian drivers using vehicles with Spanish registration are strongly advised to check for the presence of a V-16 beacon in their vehicle to avoid penalties and ensure their own safety on the country’s roads.