New safety laws for driving in Spain

While the new beacon is only mandatory for Spanish-registered vehicles, there are definitely advantages for using the beacon instead of a conventional warning triangle.

These battery-powered flashing red lights have an internal GPS and conform to a standard known as V-16. They are normally equipped with a magnetic base, but there are difficulties posed by motorhomes, so look for ones with suction or alternative form of attachment. 

The V-16 signal is an emergency signalling device that will alert other drivers to an incident on the road. The V-16 is connected to the DGT, allowing the broken-down vehicle to be geolocated and an alert to be sent to other drivers.

When the button is pressed, the V-16 activates and emits a high-intensity flashing light. The device connects to the DGT platform and transmits its location in real time, once every 100 seconds.

Drivers in the area will receive an alert on their connected devices informing them of the incident.

Since the connectivity of the V-16 lights only applies in Spanish territory, their effectiveness abroad will be solely visual.

However, as a final note, the ability to use one of these beacons in close proximity to the vehicle as opposed to traipsing down the motorway or road in the event of a breakdown, cannot be underestimated. One of our motorhoming consultants has bought a flashing beacon for this very reason.

To be honest, most of the motorhomers we speak to say driving in Spain is much easier than back here in Blighty, because the roads outside the major cities are much quieter and Spanish drivers are generally in less of a rush. 

• Wild camping is not legal in Spain, but can be tolerated in certain communities and there is a growing network of stopovers being set up. If you use an app like park4night, then be considerate when not using official stopovers. You can't assume that everything listed on this and other similar apps is safe, suitable or legal
• You will need beam deflectors for your headlights, which is the same for the rest of Europe, as well as a UK sticker on the rear
• Make sure you carry the right equipment according to the rules of the country - the RAC has an excellent guide on its website
• There are toll roads in Spain, which can generally be easily avoided. It's worth having some euro to hand in the cab, just in case card payments don't work
• Motorhomes over 3,500kg GVW need to stick to lower speed limits; 90km/h where the normal speed limit is 120km/h and 80km/h on main roads