Know the difference between a connected V-16 and an analog

This 2025 is the last year in which emergency triangles can be used to signal a vehicle in case of incidence on the road, since as of January 1, 2026 it will be mandatory for all vehicles that circulate in Spain have a light of V-16 emergency approved and connected to the DGT.

Although they are currently available in the market and both analog and connected light beacons can be used, next year only the latter will be legal; Hence the importance of knowing how to differentiate them.

According to Help Flash, the main difference between a connected beacon and an analog is in connectivity. When activated, the connected V-16 lights immediately and anonymously send a notification to the DGT traffic control center indicating the exact location of the vehicle that has suffered a breakdown or an accident. This information is shared in real time through the DGT 3.0 platform and the national access point to other road users.

In this way, other conductors may previously have information about any incidence along their journey, a notification that will not only appear in the variable information panels on the different roads, but will also be in the applications of Mobility in their phones and in the connected cars themselves.

The analogs, meanwhile, do not offer information about the geoposition of the damaged vehicle. They simply serve to signal the vehicle that has suffered an incidence. Therefore, it is important that, when acquiring a V-16 light, let’s confirm in the packaging that IoT says, this indicates connectivity.

In addition, another features that allow differentiating the connected beacons from analogs is the price. While analogs have an approximate price of 20 euros, the connected V-16 signal can be purchased from 50 or 60 euros. This is because, according to the MOV 2022/03 guideline, the cost of device communications is included in the public sale price and these will be guaranteed for at least 12 years. Some models, as is the case with the Help Flash IoT, offer people who acquire it before it is mandatory additional connectivity without cost during these previous years, thus obtaining devices connected from now on until 2038.