Lorraine Williamson
Spain’s new year road rules are meant to make breakdowns and collisions less deadly. But the rollout has also created confusion, especially around the V16 emergency beacon and what drivers should do if visibility is poor.
There are also big questions around e-scooters, where national rules are moving faster than enforcement on the ground.
The V16 beacon is now the legal standard — but triangles aren’t “forbidden”
From 1 January 2026, the connected V16 emergency beacon becomes the official signalling device for vehicles with Spanish plates, replacing the warning triangles as the required method.
The safety argument is clear. The beacon can be activated without stepping onto the road, and it sends a location signal through Spain’s connected traffic system to speed up the response.
However, recent guidance reported in Spanish media suggests triangles are not being treated as an “illegal extra”. In other words, the beacon is the requirement, but using triangles as an additional warning may still be acceptable when it can be done safely.
So is it being enforced “yet”?
Legally, the change has taken effect. The messaging that tends to confuse is the difference between the rule being in force and how strictly it is being enforced in the first weeks, when information campaigns often come first.
Spanish plates and foreign plates may not be treated the same
Most public guidance has focused on vehicles registered in Spain. Visitors driving foreign-plated vehicles should still carry the safety equipment required in their country of registration and comply with Spanish rules on visibility and safety at the roadside.
E-scooters: tougher rules, but a rollout problem
Electric scooters and similar “personal mobility vehicles” are facing tighter oversight, with Spain moving towards nationwide registration and clearer identification.
Compulsory third-party liability insurance is tied to that wider framework. The direction is obvious, but the practical start line still depends on the national system being fully implemented.
Traffic jams: the “emergency corridor” becomes your job
Another major change is behavioural: in motorway traffic jams, drivers are expected to create an “emergency corridor” by pulling to the edges so ambulances, firefighters and police can pass through the middle.
It’s common elsewhere in Europe. It only works if drivers do it early, not at the moment sirens appear.
What drivers should do now?
If you drive a Spanish-registered vehicle, treat the V16 beacon as essential equipment and keep it within reach. If you also keep triangles for extra visibility, only use them when conditions make it safe.
For scooters, watch for updates on nationwide registration and how insurance requirements will be applied locally.
And on motorways, practise the emergency corridor habit now. The first time you try it shouldn’t be when someone’s life depends on it.