Motorists will have a new obligation from 1 January 2026. All vehicles must be equipped with a V16 beacon approved by the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT), a magnetised light that is placed above the car in the event of an emergency and which automatically issues an accident alert to the DGT and sends the position of the car so that they can assist you if necessary.
This last feature of the device, geolocation, has aroused suspicion among the population. The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) has received a flood of questions in this regard: do the new V16 beacons violate our privacy? Do they share the location of vehicles even when they are not connected?
The message from the AEPD is one of tranquility. “The identifier is not associated with a person or a license plate, without there being a registration that connects the device with the identity of the person who uses it. Whoever purchases the beacon is not required to provide their personal data to any administration at the time of purchase, so the DGT would not know who purchased the device”, explains the Agency in a note.
Beacons embed an eSIM card with mobile data guaranteed for a series of years, usually ranging from 10 to 15. While not activated, the beacon does not transmit any data, the agency clarifies. And, “if activated in an emergency situation, the information sent would not allow us to know who the person was driving or to reconstruct their movements”. The device does not continuously generate movement or data sending histories.
At least that’s how DGT-approved devices work. Therefore, the Civil Guard insists that drivers ensure they purchase an approved headlight. In addition to being a mandatory requirement, problems with data transmission can be avoided.
Smart signage
The lighthouse will replace the reflective triangle that all vehicles had to carry until now. The intent of the DGT is, in fact, to prevent motorists from having to get out of the car and walk along the road until the triangle is positioned: the magnetized light can be positioned on the roof of the car without getting up from the seat. The authorities recommend storing it in a place accessible from the driving seat, to avoid having to get out of the vehicle.
The signal emitted by the beacon does not replace the call to 112, since it does not contact the emergency services, but communicates with the DGT. There are fines of 80 euros if a routine check shows that a vehicle is not equipped with a flashing light and 200 euros if, in the event of an accident, the regulatory emergency light is not used.
