In Spain, networked LED warning lights are to replace the warning triangle in the event of a breakdown from 2026.
The Spanish Ministry of Transport, Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), wants to say goodbye to the classic warning triangle in the long term. As the authority announced on December 22, 2022, a so-called V12 LED warning light, which is networked with a digital platform set up by DGT, is to be used to protect a car in the event of a breakdown. ,
Warning light instead of warning triangle
The DGT 3.0 platform is scheduled to be launched on January 1st, 2026. The certification process for V16 warning lights, which are connected to the platform via the mobile network via an integrated SIM card, will start in January 2022. From then on, manufacturers can submit their warning lights for testing. The DGT assumes that the first approved lights will be on the market from the second half of 2023. A corresponding list should then also be available on the DGT website. Network access for the devices should then already be included in the purchase price for several years, so that the user does not have to face any running costs. ,
When the system goes into service in 2026, drivers should activate the warning light in the event of a breakdown and place it on the vehicle roof. The V16 LED warning light signals the breakdown with its all-round light and also sends a location signal to the DGT breakdown center every 100 seconds via the mobile network. This should make it easier for breakdown services to reach the breakdown vehicle, and DGT also wants to use the information to warn other networked cars of the breakdown spot and to trigger corresponding information on the traffic control signal systems. Only a location signal is sent and no information about the vehicle or the owner. In addition, the radio is only active when the warning light is activated. With the change to the mandatory warning light, the conventional warning triangle may no longer be used.
Does not apply to travelers to Spain
Do holidaymakers in Spain have to change their minds now? No, according to ADAC, the abolition of the warning triangle planned by the Spanish Ministry of Transport is a national equipment regulation. However, according to EU law, Spain must also recognize vehicles registered in Germany, for example, which means that the new regulation would only affect vehicles registered in Spain.
Conclusion
In Spain, networked LED warning lights are to replace the classic warning triangle as a safeguard in the event of a breakdown from 2026. The breakdown vehicle should be easier to find, and the information should also be used to warn other road users. However, the regulation only applies to vehicles registered in Spain.
