The emergency triangles have a deadline set for their disappearance. As of January 1, 2026, drivers will not be able to use them to warn other road users that their car has broken down on the road. The device chosen to replace this element is the V16 beacon, which will become mandatory on the same date. The replacement is carried out for a safety issue, so that the driver can alert other road users of an incident without having to get out of the vehicle.
However, the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has explained that it is studying the possibility of prohibiting the placement of emergency triangles on motorways and dual carriageways. This was announced by the director general of the aforementioned body, Pere Navarro, in statements to journalists at the DGT headquarters last Tuesday.
Current regulations urge drivers to get out of their vehicles to locate the reflective warning triangles when they suffer a breakdown or accident and must stop their car on the road. A really dangerous situation due to the risk of being run over, especially on the fastest roads, where the speed difference is higher.
In fact, as Navarro has explained, in 2022 126 people died from being run over on Spanish roads, that is, 11% of all traffic fatalities (1,145). Concern has increased particularly due to the 16 people who died after leaving the passenger compartment of their vehicles, since they account for 12.7% of the total pedestrian deaths.
“We are especially concerned about those who have gotten out of the car due to any incident. On the highway and highway, you should not get out of the car if you have a problem because there is a lot of traffic, it goes very fast and it poses a certain risk ”, he indicated. Therefore, measures are being considered in this regard.
"We are studying for highways and dual carriageways to see how legally we can make the triangle no longer mandatory", commented the head of Traffic. Instead, Navarro believes that the most appropriate option is to leave the vehicle through the passenger seat and call the emergency services for help, thus avoiding walking on the shoulder.
Along these lines, he pointed out that in the United Kingdom the obligation to place triangles on express roads has been eliminated, as is already the case in Luxembourg. "They have removed it due to the risk of being hit by someone who has gotten out of the car to place the triangle", he assured, and justified that on these roads "there are many cars, a lot of traffic and they go very fast".
Since 1999, the General Vehicle Regulations required placing the triangles at least 50 meters away from the damaged car and in such a way that they were visible from at least 100 meters away. On two-way roads it was necessary to place one in front and one behind, while on one-way roads it was enough to place one behind the stopped vehicle.
However, since July 2021 it is also legal to use the new V16 light devices instead of the conventional triangles. These beacons are placed on the roof of the vehicle and warn other users of the danger by means of a powerful light, thus preventing drivers from having to walk on the shoulder. They are light devices and take up little space, so they can be easily stored in the glove compartment.
In addition, one of its most attractive qualities is that it is equipped with a geolocation function, which allows all the necessary data to be sent directly to the DGT 3.0 platform in real time. Through this connection, other drivers will be able to receive the position of any vehicle that activates the V16 signal, as well as other types of information that ensure road safety.
So, we have to wait for the DGT to decide if it finally acts like the United Kingdom and Luxembourg and prohibits the use of triangles ahead of schedule on highways and highways, a measure that could further encourage the purchase of V16 devices in our country.
