Footage of a V16 beacon in action in Spain has cast doubt on the technology’s effectiveness.
The flashing light, which cost around €40, will become obligatory for all drivers in Spain from January 1, 2026.
It must be placed on your car if and when you break down, and is supposed to be visible from a significant distance.
The devices are also connected via GPS to the Spanish traffic authority (DGT), pinging your location to local authorities once the device is activated.
The beacons will replace the luminous triangle signals, which force drivers to get out of their cars, retrieve them from the boot, and place them 50 metres behind their vehicles.
However, a viral video shared on X that appears to show one of the V16 models in action has sparked a wave of concern, with some branding it ‘useless’.
Dashcam footage shows a car driving on a motorway, before it takes an exit.
Within a few seconds, it suddenly passes a black car that is pulled over in the hard shoulder.
Only when it is a few feet away from the vehicle, can the V16 beacon be seen emitting rather week flashes of light.
The clip was uploaded by X user @neodel, who wrote sarcastically: ‘I don’t know why you complain so much about the V16 beacon, since it’s great and can be seen from miles away.’
It is not known what model or brand of the V16 was recorded (there are many).
Leading road safety organisation AESLEME rushed to defend the beacons, writing: ‘Neither system is foolproof, but it’s incomprehensible that you’d prefer to go out with the warning triangle, walking 50 meters along that shoulder, honestly.
‘Many people have died that way. Sometimes it seems like you have to cause trouble just for the sake of causing trouble.’
Other users said some of the fault lay with the driver, who should have put the beacon on the back end of his car to make it more visible to oncoming traffic.
One wrote: ‘It needs to be positioned logically. Specifically, in the direction of the oncoming traffic. Putting it at the front won’t improve things.’
Another agreed, adding: ‘This is a well-lit road, it’s normal that the beacon isn’t noticeable, besides, being on a downhill stretch with the beacon placed on the front part prevents it from being seen well, it should have been placed further back or even hung on the window.’
However, many said the light simply is not strong enough, while some said they refuse to buy it out of principle.
‘I’ve had to watch the video three times to see where the beacon was,’ wrote one commenter.
Another said: ‘If you blink, you miss it’, while one vowed: ‘I’m not going to buy it until the DGT (Spanish Traffic Authority) sends me a letter.’
