How the V16 warning light reduces accident risk on Spain's roads – studies, figures & future outlook

Introduction: A small lamp with a big impact

Safety innovations in road traffic are often inconspicuous – until you see their impact in numbers.
It was the same with the seatbelt, the airbag requirement, and now with the V16 warning light.
What looks like a small blinking gadget noticeably changes the accident statistics in Spain:
Since the start of voluntary use in 2021, the number of breakdown and rear-end collisions with personal injuries on expressways has already decreased by over 30% according to DGT.

But how exactly does the new technology affect the real accident situation?
What do studies and authorities say – and what role does the platform DGT 3.0 play in this change?

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1. The starting point: An underestimated risk

For years, accidents while setting up the warning triangle were among the most tragic but avoidable causes of death in Spanish road traffic.
According to an analysis by the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), there were annually:

• around 2,000 breakdown situations on highways with dangerous pedestrian movements,

• an average of 25 deaths per year when trying to set up a warning triangle,

• more than 150 injured, often at night or in rain.

The problem: On expressways with 120 km/h, other drivers hardly have time to react.
Visibility, weather, and speed form a dangerous combination – and the warning triangle, once a symbol of safety, became a risk itself.

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2. The safety advantage of the V16 light

The V16 warning light solves several of these dangers at once:

1. No movement on the roadway – activation from inside the car.

2. 360° all-around light – visible even from oblique angles.

3. High brightness – LED technology ensures visibility over 1 km.

4. Automatic location reporting – rescue teams immediately see where help is needed.

DGT analysis 2023:

• Vehicles equipped with a V16 were recognized on average 2.8 seconds earlier by following drivers than vehicles with a warning triangle.

• At 120 km/h, this corresponds to a braking distance advantage of almost 90 meters.

• In 8 out of 10 simulation cases, a rear-end collision could be prevented this way.

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3. Real impacts according to accident statistics

Since 2021, Spain has allowed the voluntary use of the V16.
Since then, the DGT and the Ministry of Transport have observed the following development (as of 2024):