News

More safety and digitisation: flashing lights and digital vignettes instead of the traditional approach.

What used to be stored in the glove compartment or on the windscreen is now digital: Spain and Austria are now relying on digital solutions instead of traditional compulsory equipment. This means that drivers and holidaymakers can stay informed in a timely manner, which could otherwise be costly.

Spain: End of warning triangle
On 1 January 2026, the traffic authority, the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), replaced the warning triangle with the battery-powered V-16 warning light. This applies to motorways and expressways. In the event of a breakdown, drivers place the warning light on their vehicle's roof, which is visible from up to 1 km away. The digital warning light also automatically transmits the location to the authorities and emergency services.

The aim is to increase safety on busy roads.

This obligation only affects vehicles with Spanish registration plates; holidaymakers are not affected. However, rental cars must be equipped.

Austria: The end of the vignette sticker
Replacing the current vignette sticker with a digital vignette is an important step towards modern, sustainable mobility. ASFINAG, the highway company, will sell classic vignette stickers until the end of 2026. From 1 February 2027, only the digital vignette will be valid.

The characteristics: bounded on the licence plate, reminder service, and automatic extension.
However, the following applies to travellers: When travelling through Austria towards Italy, an Austrian vignette is obligatory (in the future, however, it will only be available digitally). In addition, a number of special toll sections in Austria result in separate toll charges.

After crossing the border into Italy, the vignette requirement no longer applies and the Italian toll system applies instead, which calculates the toll automatically based on the number of kilometres driven.

Two reforms, one direction
Both reforms point in the same direction: analogue solutions such as the warning triangle and the vignette sticker are being replaced by digital and electronic systems.
Spain is focusing on greater safety, while Austria is focusing on comfort, automation and reduced material consumption.

For travellers, this means taking a precise look at which rules apply in a given country and being punctual as well as organisationally prepared.

 

Source: Pixabay/Grenze-Kontrolle-Einreise_4980156
https://pixabay.com/de/photos/grenze-kontrolle-einreise-4980156/