The V-16 beacon, in doubt? Catalonia registers an increase in pedestrian hit-and-run fatalities

In 2021, the head of the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), Pere Navarro, and the Ministry of the Interior, led by Fernando Grande Marlaska, signed a royal decree that modified the regulations and established the obligation to use a V-16 light signal to replace emergency triangles. At that time, they argued that the change aimed to provide greater safety to the occupants of a broken-down vehicle by preventing them from having to exit the vehicle to indicate the incident, thus reducing the possibility of suffering an accident due to being run over.

The change in regulation came into effect on January 1, 2026. And the obligation to carry this controversial beacon in the vehicle (an invention by two civil guards valued at over 1.2 billion euros) sparked a strong controversy among consumer associations like FACUA, which they even denounced the DGT for promoting a "massive fraud" with the business of new beacons. Even some police associations like AUGC (Unified Association of Civil Guard), the majority group of agents of the Benemèrita, pointed directly to the ineffectiveness of these devices and stated that "false expectations" had been created around the implementation of the V-16 light and geolocated signal. Carlos Cantero, head of the traffic area of this association of civil guards, assured that the death data reveal that this system has proven "ineffective" in reducing the figures of mortality from being run over.

According to data from the Servei Català de Trànsit (SCT) consulted by ARA, a total of nine pedestrians have died in road accidents on Catalan roads on interurban routes during the first six months of the year, compared to the five victims registered on the Catalan road network during the first six months of 2024 and 2025. In fact, one must go back to 2022, the most tragic year in history regarding interurban accidents on the Catalan road network, to find a similar record to this 2026, with 10 pedestrians killed by accidents during the first six months of the year.

The figures obtained by the SCT do not discriminate between pedestrian accidents based on their activity (walking on the shoulder for sports activity or for a vehicle stopped due to breakdown or accident), but they do show an upward trend during the current year and, although no direct relationship can be established, it does raise doubts about the effectiveness of the new lighting signaling system.

The accident data registered by the SCT also show that over the last ten years, the main bulk of road accident victims occurs during the autumn and winter months (October to December), coinciding with the shortening of daylight and the worsening of visibility during the day. At this point, it is worth remembering that sources from the Mossos d'Esquadra de Trànsit consulted by this newspaper recall that the use and possession of the reflective vest inside the vehicle remains mandatory even if the V-16 lighting system is available and that vehicle occupants theoretically should not leave it.

A controversial change

The entry into force of the mandatory V-16 beacon has been accompanied by a string of controversies and blunders, such as the withdrawal of homologation from four manufacturers due to various defects but without providing any official technical explanation, lights approved by the relevant authorities with usage autonomies of less than 30 minutes, coverage and connectivity gaps of the beacons in rural areas or the poor visibility of the lighting system during the central hours of the day, among others. Furthermore, foreign vehicles (Moroccan, Portuguese, Andorran, French, Belgian or from any other country) circulating on the Spanish road network are exempt from the obligation to use the new V-16 light signal and can continue to use conventional warning triangles without committing any infraction or being fined in case of an incident. 

During the last few months, several beacon manufacturers have been surprised by the scarce reception of this connected device, which is mandatory under penalty of €80 (€200 in case of not having it and being immobilized on the public road). The background noise and the strong reservations that this signaling system has aroused among drivers explain, in part, that approximately half of the drivers of vehicles circulating in Spain have not yet purchased this controversial beacon.

Two-way and poorly lit roads 

The debate surrounding the effectiveness of the V-16 beacon is particularly significant when considering that most roads on the Catalan road network are two-way traffic routes, with narrow shoulders and poor lighting. In this regard, surveys conducted among drivers throughout Spain by the Foundation for Road Safety (FESVIAL) and the insurer Línia Directa indicate that 83% of drivers disapprove of V-16 beacons due to the low luminous power they emit. In fact, many drivers feel insecure and unprotected by the new connected beacon, especially on two-way roads with narrow and poorly lit shoulders, like many on the Catalan road network.

The critical voices regarding the V-16 lighting system have only grown in recent months, and various videos questioning the beacon's effectiveness circulate on social networks. In fact, the DGT itself stated that drivers who wish to do so can continue to use emergency triangles, provided that the connected beacon is activated beforehand.