Is Your Car Ready For 2026?

If you're active online in immigrant circles, you have probably seen or heard something about Spain's new required traffic devices. If not, or if you didn't understand it, I'll explain:

Starting 1 January, 2026, every vehicle on the roads of Spain is legally required to have a specific type of "Connected Road Emergency Signal" in it. This replaces the former legal requirement to have orange triangles, which you would place around your vehicle to signal to coming drivers that your car was on the side and disabled. This light gets activated and placed at the highest point on your vehicle, to alert those coming up on your situation to yield - but it also sends out a signal to the DGT and to other drivers' GPS systems so if they are navigating their driving around your emergency, they will be warned of a disabled vehicle long before they come up to you. It taps into the local mobile network to make it all happen, and enables drivers to stay away from the roads and avoid possible collision with other unaware motorists. Spain has instituted this after roadside deaths increased year after year, while drivers were essentially in the freeways or roadways placing orange triangles on the ground.

Now, you can't buy just any old beacon for this, as only certain types are valid and accomplish the type of communication needed in this situation. Spain has released a searchable list of the approved products, so when you find one (I suggest amazon.es, they have plenty - and the pricing is the same within a few euros no matter where you get them, currently between 30-40, as it actually includes 12 months of mobile-ready service inside the device) you can use this tool to check that it is approved before buying: V16 PRE-SIGNALING DEVICES

Using the device is very simple - make sure the battery stopper is removed before you put it in your car, as there will normally be a tab of plastic sticking out from the battery case that is there to prevent the device from sending signals during shipping. Remove that tab if it exists. To activate the light, press the top button for 2 seconds and then place it atop your vehicle at the highest point and on the side closest to the road. At that point, according to DGT, "if the vehicle is immobilized without the possibility of resuming movement, the occupants must leave the vehicle, provided there is a safe place outside the roadway and, in any case, they must leave the vehicle on the side opposite the flow of traffic without walking or remaining in the lanes or shoulders that make up said roadway. If traffic conditions do not allow the occupants to leave the vehicle safely, they must remain in the passenger compartment with their seatbelts fastened. Therefore, it will be up to the driver to assess whether or not it is possible to leave the vehicle safely."

The DGT page above has a whole list of FAQs to read if you're confused, but this is the gist of the new program and it starts NOW, so get your light if you haven't already, and be safe out there!