V-16 beacons can interfere with the operation of pacemakers and defibrillators

Just a few days ago, a listener of the program The world on RAC1 turned on the alarm lights during an interview with the deputy director of the DGTAna Blanco warned that the use of the new V-16 beacons could seriously affect the health of people with heart problems who use a pacemaker or defibrillator.

The V-16 beacons already specify in the instructions that they use "a highly inductive magnetic base and should not be placed on the edge of sources that emit or receive magnetic radiation or pacemakers," and specify that "a minimum distance of 11 centimeters from the human body must be maintained during transmissions and their use on sensitive medical equipment should be avoided."

People with pacemakers cannot undergo MRI scans or pass through airport security scanners, for example, as these procedures can interfere with the functioning of their pacemakers. However, the deputy director of the DGT (Spanish Directorate General of Traffic) admitted live on air that she was "unaware" of this and that it was "the first time anyone had asked this question." Furthermore, the radio frequency emissions used by V-16 beacons can interfere with the proper functioning of defibrillators, an essential tool for people with heart conditions.

Manel Castellà, head of the cardiovascular surgery section at Hospital Clínic, warned RAC1 that using the V-16 beacon can alter the pacemaker's programming, setting it to a fixed 60 beats per minute. In this case, the magnet used to attach the beacon to the vehicle's body is the element that can interfere with the device's operation. However, the potential danger could be mitigated if the person activates the beacon at a distance of about 30 centimeters from their chest, on the vehicle's body, and maintains a safe distance from the light system.

Thousands of people affected

According to data from the Spanish Society of Cardiology, there are currently around 26,500 people across Spain using different pacemaker systems, approximately 6,900 of them in Catalonia. Although there is no reliable census, we can deduce that many of those who need pacemakers are drivers and that all are potential vehicle occupants, which, since January 1st... They are required to use an emergency lighting and geolocation system..

At this point, it is worth highlighting that the most serious aspect of the case is that neither the DGT nor the Spanish government, through the Ministry of the Interior or the Ministry of Health, have foreseen this possibility and can exempt people with pacemakers or heart problems from having to use the V-16 beacon system, while other groups, such as those receiving no drivers or foreign drivers, can be exempt.