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Possibly the most controversial piece of motoring kit the Spanish authorities have ever introduced, the V16 emergency lights are still causing drivers grief almost four months after they became law. So much grief, in fact, that the vast majority of road users aren’t bothering with them at all.

 

More than 83% of roadside incidents in Spain are happening without the connected V16 beacon that drivers are legally required to carry and use, according to new analysis from technology firm Netun Solutions.

 

The devices, which have been mandatory since January 1, allow drivers to signal a breakdown without stepping out of the vehicle, and automatically alert other road users via the DGT 3.0 platform in real time.

 

Despite that, Netun Solutions found that only 17% of daily roadside assistance calls are preceded by the activation of one of these beacons.

 

The scale of the problem is really quite enormous. Spain records almost 11 million road incidents a year, around 40% of which require roadside assistance, equivalent to roughly 12,000 call-outs every day, according to insurance industry figures. Connected beacons are being activated for only around 2,000 of those incidents daily, according to the Ministry of the Interior.

 

Netun Solutions put the low take-up down to a combination of factors, including a lack of awareness among drivers that the devices are compulsory, confusion between connected and unconnected beacons, and limited understanding of the advantages they offer over older signalling methods.

 

Many motorists, particularly those driving alone at night, are also nervous about broadcasting their location to the entire country.

 

Alejandro González, the company's marketing director, said the figures make a strong case for a wider public information push across Spain.

 

"The fact that a large majority of incidents are not being signalled with this system highlights the need to strengthen awareness and facilitate its adoption," he said.

 

The connected beacon is designed to make breakdowns safer for everyone. Being able to alert approaching drivers automatically, without having to stand at the roadside, is a significant step forward from the old warning triangle system, and the technology to do it is already sitting in most cars.

 

It just isn't being used.

 

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Image: DGT