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Spain’s V‑16 Beacon Takes Effect With 3,000 Daily Activations, Fraud Alerts and Model Withdrawals

Officials stress education over fines during a launch with roughly 3,000 daily activations.

Overview

  • The connected V‑16 has been mandatory since January 1 to replace warning triangles, and the DGT estimates about 3,000 activations per day after recording 2,946 on January 2.
  • No fines have been issued so far as police apply a pedagogical grace period, with an eventual penalty of 80 euros for failing to signal incidents with the device.
  • The DGT has withdrawn homologation for four models for administrative reasons: Don Feliz V16IoT (PC24020028), The Boutique For Your Car V16IoT (PC25020290), Ikrea V16IoT (PC25060006) and Call SOS XL-HZ-001-VC (2024060583G1).
  • Consumer group Facua has reported that some platforms sold non‑connected units labeled as DGT‑approved without clarifying they are not valid under the new rules.
  • A publicly available real‑time map visualizes active beacons outside DGT systems, and reports describe unauthorized tow operators targeting incidents; the DGT says it has not issued warnings, insurers urge verification of authorized assistance, and the AEPD states the device shares only location and a technical identifier.