spainrico

This from Money Saver Spain newsletter today:-

The new emergency light you need asap If you have a car, from this year you can start to use the new V16 emergency light rather than warning triangles. From 2024 you must have a V16 light as the triangles will no longer be valid in the case of a car accident or breakdown.

The new light has several advantages over the triangles, including:

• No need to get out of your vehicle as you can just place the light on the car roof from your window (this will avoid accidents that can happen when placing triangles on busy roads)
• Ease of use: the light comes with a magnet, once placed on the car roof it will light up immediately
• Visible from 1km, even in poor weather

Watch out with cheap versions that may not last or even work when you need them. Here are a couple of recommended brands that meet the Traffic Directorate requirements, available at Norauto, FeuVert and Amazon Spain:

• Help Flash (designed by two ex-Guardia Civil members)
• MotorKit

If you have more than one vehicle, it could be cheaper to buy a pack with two lights, at the links you'll find more options.

Mark604

Where has this idea come from? Guardia Civil? Just curious.
I can't really see all the cars in Spain converting to these instead of a six euro triangle. I wonder if it'll be like the breathalyser kit you're supposed to have in France.

Fred James

It’s nothing to do with the Guardia as such. Too many people are getting killed on the hard shoulder putting out two triangles.

When the time limit to get one runs out, the Guardia will take great delight in fining you if you haven’t got one. Personally I think it is a great improvement on the triangles and I would not be surprised to see them as standard kit when you buy a new car just as triangles are now.

snikpoh

If you look on the n332 site, they state that this information is incorrect.

What are we to believe?

Fred James

What information is incorrect?

dmu

Carrying "Ethylotests" in your car is no longer compulsory in France.
Is the need for this V16 light a European thing, or just Spanish? AFAIK there's been no mention of it in France....

Mark604

Yes, you're right. It is no longer a requirement in France. Maybe I should have used the past tense in the sentence.

Notdunroamin

Actually it never was compulsory.

The law to compel it under penalty of a fine was never enacted so with no penalty carrying them became entirely optional.

It was a stupid law which was never going to make one jot of difference to drink driving.

spainrico

N332 says this

https://n332.es/tag/warning-triangles/

I mentioned it to some Spanish friends and they were aware and Amazon have sold over 3500 of one of the many types available - so whilst it may not be law yet it looks to me as if it is coming and whatever is coming I am planning to buy one because to me it makes a lot of sense and is easier and safer to deploy.

snikpoh

Whilst I agree, it is still the law that you must carry and then deploy triangles.

Retired in Euskadi

These V16 lights seem like a big improvement. I'd not heard of them as yet, nor indeed the website n332.
For those who speak Spanish & might wish to practise some, I'd recommend the DGT magazine "Seguridad Vial" which for €8 per year is well worth the money.
Search the DGT website for information.

bfg69bug

the website is https://help-flash.com - their prices is €29,95.

but they are avaliable on pccomponentes for € 19,94 - https://www.pccomponentes.com/help-f...oC3EoQAvD_BwE&

spainrico

Lots of options on Amazon

https://www.amazon.es/s?k=Luz+de+eme...f=nb_sb_noss_2

bfg69bug

i suppose the only requirement is that it has to be v16 certified ?

snikpoh

Maybe, as the rules haven't changed yet, who knows? Triangles must still be carried and deployed