Spain mandates connected V-16 emergency beacons with secure SIM tech for safer roads.

Starting January 1, 2026, Spain replaced traditional warning triangles with connected V-16 emergency beacons that automatically transmit vehicle location to traffic authorities via the DGT 3.0 platform. IDEMIA Secure Transactions, in partnership with Telefónica, Vodafone, and MasOrange, provides secure SIM technology enabling reliable, encrypted communication for these devices. This large-scale initiative aims to improve road safety by alerting drivers in real time and speeding up incident response, impacting up to 30 million vehicles and setting a European precedent for connected traffic safety solutions. The system requires no user setup, works anonymously, and is designed for nationwide operation over at least 12 years.