The V-16 beacon, the controversial invention of two Civil Guard officers valued at over 1.2 billion
Two Galician officers invented and patented the controversial lighting system that will be mandatory for four-wheeled vehicles from January 1st.
Former Galician Civil Guard officers Jorge Torre and Jorge Juan Costas are the creators of the controversial V-16 emergency light, a safety system that will replace the current emergency triangles and will be mandatory from January 1st. Both men left the Civil Guard to pursue various business ventures, including the creation of an emergency light that mimics the lights of police or ambulance vehicles. The goal was for it to be stored in the car's glove compartment, eliminating the need to leave the vehicle in case of a breakdown and reducing the danger of having to walk along the shoulder of the road when emergency triangles are deployed.
The invention by the two officers on leave, commercially known as Help Flash, is a patented product developed through a limited company called Netun Solutions, which they founded in the city of Vigo. This company presented the warning light system to authorities and traffic victim associations starting in 2016, achieving surprisingly high institutional success and widespread acceptance among various administrations, entities, and associations.
In 2018, the new system was presented to the DGT (Spanish Directorate General of Traffic), which authorized its use and homologation as a safety system. But the big part boom It arrived in early 2019, when the Director of the DGT (Spanish Directorate General of Traffic), Pere Navarro, and the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, signed a Royal Decree with the new regulations for roadside assistance, which established the mandatory use of the new V-16 flashing light from January 1st to 2019. A video from 2018 shows its creators explaining the safety system, although its mandatory use had not yet been established.
More shadows than light
The Spanish government's decision has not left anyone indifferent, as no other country in the world had approved a similar measure, although the debate on the use of emergency triangles has been on the table in many administrations, even though no one had yet taken the step of eliminating them. In fact, some consumer associations They have already reported it to the DGT (Spanish Directorate General of Traffic). They consider it a "massive fraud against consumers" and criticize the "passive" attitude of the various administrations in the process of purchasing the new beacons and the limited follow-up that has been carried out on manufacturers who advertise models for sale that do not meet the homologation criteria.
The system, which will be mandatory from January 1, 2026, still leaves many questions unanswered, such as where to mount the beacon on convertible vehicles, its poor visibility during daylight hours, or the question of what would happen to the coverage of the built-in SIM card if the vehicle encounters an area with poor coverage or a concourse or tunnel.
Furthermore, the approved system only informs the DGT (Spanish Directorate General of Traffic) of our location upon activation, without notifying 112 (the emergency services) or the insurance company, if applicable. Finally, the battery life of the beacon is limited, lasting no more than two to forty-five minutes, after which drivers must replace the batteries to continue using the system.
A business worth more than 1.2 billion euros
The business volume surrounding the new mandatory system exceeds €1.2 billion, considering the current vehicle fleet in Spain, with over 30 million registered vehicles on the road. While it's true that there are more than 200 beacons approved by the DGT (Spanish Directorate General of Traffic), numerous cases of fraudulent sales have been detected, and many drivers have purchased beacons that, despite claiming approval in their descriptions, did not meet DGT requirements. This has led many buyers to opt for the Help Flash beacon, manufactured by the company owned by two former Civil Guard officers, even though this beacon is significantly more expensive (€54.95) than its competitors. The penalty for having an accident without having the approved lighting system is 200 euros, and if an officer detects the absence of this device in a routine check from January 1st, the fine will be 80 euros.
In this regard, it is very relevant to point out that just a month ago, businessman Juan Maria Riberas, popularly known as Jon Riberas, vice president of Gestamp (a group specializing in the manufacture of chassis and elements oriented to the automotive industry), increased his stake in the company Netun Solutions to 51% through a capital increase and 10% of the company's shares through the companies Indyra Inversión (linked to Jorge Torre) and Costas y Familia (linked to Jorge Costas).