Mandatory V-16 emergency lights in Spain: which vehicles will be exempt?

With less than nine months to go before the use of these devices to signal an incident on the road becomes compulsory for most vehicles, there are still unanswered questions as to which road users must have them, and by when

Canal Motor

Madrid

Friday, 7 March 2025, 16:53

Geolocation emergency warning lights will be replacing the more familiar hazard triangles used in Spain and they become mandatory for most road users from 1 January 2026. This new regulation, however, does not apply to all vehicle types.

Less than nine months remain before vehicles registered in Spain will have to carry a V-16 light in order to be visible to other road users in the event of an incident on the road, but some drivers have doubts about this measure. One of the main questions is which vehicles will be required to have an emergency beacon and which will not.

For example, although motorbikes are not obliged to have them, it is recommended. Moreover, there is one type of vehicle that is already obliged to carry these emergency lights.

Netun Solutions, retailer of devices such as the Help Flash V-16 light, explain who should buy these devices and why.

The compulsory nature of V-16 emergency beacons for use on Spain's road network is contained in Royal Decree 159/2021 of 16 March 2021, which regulates auxiliary services on public roads. It has since been added to Annex XI of Spain's 'general vehicle regulations', making it essential for this beacon to be a luminous device for warning of danger.

The aim of all this is to reduce the number of collisions and other accidents that occur when, after an incident on the road, the driver has to walk along the hard shoulder or roadside to set up the safety triangle. The connected V-16 light allows the driver of the vehicle in trouble to be visible to other road users not only physically, but also virtually, without taking unnecessary risks by being away from the vehicle.

However, this is a regulation that only applies to passenger cars, multipurpose vehicles (used for people and freight transport), buses and small goods vehicles. Only these will be obliged to carry the devices from 1 January 2026.

Motorbikes

Two-wheelers will not be required to have V-16 lights fitted next year, despite the advantages of having one. Due to their size, warning triangles have not been an option for vehicles without the storage space to carry them, as with bikes. This is not the case with the V-16 as its compact design and low weight allows it to be carried on any type of vehicle. It also represents a key accessory for improving the safety of motorcyclists, one of the most vulnerable road users for accidents.

"Being visible to other road users both physically and virtually is particularly important for motorcyclists as, in the event of an incident on the road, they do not have a covered place in which to take shelter. It is therefore recommended that drivers of all types of vehicles have this V-16 emergency beacon connected," said Alejandro González, chief marketing officer with Netun Solutions.

Motorhomes

According to Instruction PROT 2023/14 of Spain's Directorate-General of Traffic (DGT) of 11 July 2023, the V-16 light is one of "the accessories, spare parts and tools that motorhomes are obliged to carry." This means that, unlike other vehicles, which until 1 January 2026 can choose to use the safety triangle or the V-16 flashing light, the use of a V-16 is already compulsory for motorhomes.

The standard specifies that "there are V-16 lights on the market with a magnetised base that facilitate their attachment to non-horizontal metal surfaces of vehicles whose height does not allow them to be placed on the roof, thus ensuring maximum visibility. There are also beacons that can be attached to non-metallic surfaces by means of suction cups or similar fittings."

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