B-16 fire, B-27 signal and emergency triangles

• DGT 3.0 will connect our vehicles to a platform that will receive notifications about breakdowns and accidents.

• The B-27 signal will penetrate into the vehicle whenever the body wants.

On July 1, 2021, the race began. It will end on December 31, 2025. By this time, all vehicle owners should have reached the finish line. This is so because from January 1, 2026V-16 lights will definitely be installed in our cars and we will finally say goodbye to emergency triangles.

Since then, some obligations regarding emergency triangles have changed. The DGT lays sleepers at full speed to avoid derailing a train that is already moving at full speed. This means that V-16 lights coexist with triangles, that they are not mandatory in all scenarios, that some lights are only temporary and, furthermore, that V-27 lights are starting to appear, which will not be mandatory but will connect the car’s interior to DHT centers.

All this confusion of B-16 lights, B-27 signal and emergency triangles

To clarify the current situation, we are going to look one by one at all the obligations, rules and calendar that we have ahead of us. To do this, we will tell you in order everything that is in effect and what changes are expected in the B-16 lights, B-27 signal and emergency triangles.

Headlights V-16

V-16 lights will replace emergency triangles. These lights are designed in such a way that the driver can signal a breakdown without leaving the car or, if necessary, without going out onto the road to install emergency triangles, which reduces the risk of a collision.

These lights must meet a number of obligations. To be placed on the roof of a car, they must be magnetized, emit light 360°, remain bright for at least 30 minutes and operate at temperatures between -10°C and 50°C. requirements.

These lights can now be used to replace warning triangles and will become mandatory from 1 January 2026. They will then replace the emergency triangles indefinitely. But then they would also need to meet a requirement that they are not currently required to meet.

From January 1, 2026, these lights will have to be connected to DGT 3.0. That is, they will send a signal to DGT 3.0 so that the organization has a geolocation of the vehicle’s location in the event of a breakdown or accident and thus applies protocols As soon as possible.

As we say, this requirement is not mandatory until the first day of 2026, so it is now possible to find luminaires already connected on the market, as well as others that are not yet connected. Connections from Telefónica and Vodafone, for example, can now be purchased and will be valid for two years. In addition, they must ensure that the data rate will remain active for at least 12 years.

However, you can also purchase a non-attachable V-16 light. This will allow us to replace the emergency triangles for now, but it will not be possible to continue using it from 1 January 2026 as only the connected triangle will be usable by then.

Emergency triangles

For now, emergency triangles can continue to be used. Until January 1, 2026, they can accompany us in our car, but from now on we will need to have V-16 light connected

to replace them.

However, there is something to keep in mind. Since last year, the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate has removed the obligation to install emergency triangles during accidents and accidents on highways and highways. Considering that the risk of collision when installing them is very high and therefore not worth taking, their placement on these roads is no longer mandatory.

However, these incidents are still required to be signaled on secondary roads, and so if a V-16 light is not available, they are still required. The fine for failing to warn other drivers about an accident on secondary roads is 80 euros.

Signal B-27

Despite all the fuss about the V-16 lights and emergency triangles, the V-27 signal made little headway in the Spanish media.

In addition to the B-16 flashlights, Royal Decree 159/2021 of March 16, regulating the operation of emergency services on public roads. There was also mention of the V-27 signal, an alarm that will be activated in our car when the DGT wants to warn us of an immediate danger on the road.

The first thing we must take into account is that this signal will “voluntary” and “it will be activated in the vehicle’s on-board system to warn of the presence of an impending danger when this fact is reported by a third party to the connected vehicle platform of the General Directorate of Traffic.”

That is, if DGT detects that a vehicle has broken down or been involved in an accident (which can happen by simply turning on the V-16 light), the agency will send a signal to vehicles operating in the immediate vicinity of the affected area. area, so its drivers take extreme precautions.

This sign will be an emergency triangle similar to the one shown in the image above. It should be taken into account that DGT will also have communication with emergency services and that it is already testing new communication systems, such as connected cones, which can, for example, alert an organization to which roads are closed during a sporting event and thus update its online space more quickly about all incidents occurring on site . These types of notifications can reach our machine if they are active.

In Hatak | A new step for DGT 3.0: we already have companies that will be responsible for its development until 2026.

Photo | DGT