There is a safe way to signal a roadside emergency without having to leave your vehicle.
When we think of a roadside emergency, a traffic accident almost always comes to mind, but something so drastic doesn't have to happen to find ourselves in an emergency situation.
In reality, a simple flat tire, a fuel problem, or a problem with any vehicle component is enough to make you want to pull over and stop. But once in this situation, doubts assail us without a clear answer: What should we do? How should we behave? How are we going to solve the problem? Is it a dangerous situation? Who do we call?
If this has happened to you or you're afraid of finding yourself in a similar situation, keep reading because we'll address all of these questions. To address them, we must use the two types of regulations involved: the general vehicle regulations and the general traffic regulations.
It's important not to confuse them, since the former, the general vehicle regulations, only indicate the elements a vehicle must have, and this includes the technical characteristics of emergency signaling elements, such as measurements, color, materials, weight, etc. That is, everything that makes the device approved. However, the general traffic regulations mention the series of steps the driver of a vehicle must follow to signal a roadside emergency.
The general vehicle regulations (the technical one)
As we mentioned, this regulation establishes the elements that the vehicle must have and their characteristics. Therefore, if the triangles we carry don't comply with the regulations, they won't be approved and, consequently, we could be fined. But then, what characteristics must these components meet to signal a roadside emergency? Here's the most relevant information:Measurements : The outer dimensions should be between 55 and 65 cm; the inner dimensions should be 7 cm; the legs should be 5 cm high; and the distance from the floor to the triangle cannot exceed 30 cm.
Case: It must bear the trademark and approval mark. It must also include assembly instructions.
International approval mark: They must have a mark consisting of a circle containing the letter E followed by a distinctive number of the country in which it has been approved (9 in the case of Spain).
Rulebook Number: Outside the circle must be the Rulebook number (27) followed by the letter R and five more numbers (they indicate the number of modifications to the initial Rulebook and the order of the game).
Labeling: The product name (unless easily identifiable) and the company's name or business name must be on the packaging. Labeling must be in the official language of the State.
The general traffic regulations
Now that you know what the standard V-16 sign (an element used to signal road emergencies) is and its characteristics, you'll need to know how to use it. Below, we'll detail what this regulation establishes step by step:Step 1: Mount the triangle inside the vehicle, so as not to expose yourself to unnecessary danger.
Step 2: Put on your reflective vest (which must also be approved, but we'll talk about that another time) and exit the vehicle only when you consider it safe to do so, in order to proceed with the placement of the V-16 sign.
Step 3: If the road we are on has two-way traffic, we will place one of them 50 meters in front of the vehicle and the second, another 50 meters behind.
Step 4: On one-way roads, it is only mandatory to place one behind the vehicle.
Step 5: We need to place the triangles upright so that approaching vehicles can see them.
A revolutionary alternative
The truly curious thing about this regulation is that it doesn't state anywhere that we are required to get out of the vehicle and place the triangles. If the driver believes that traffic conditions endanger their safety during the signaling maneuver, they are not required to get out of the vehicle and place the triangles.So if it weren't safe, how would we signal our emergency situation?
To address this dilemma, alternative solutions are emerging on the market: revolutionary emergency warning beacons . These devices make us safely visible in just eight seconds, without having to leave our vehicle, even in adverse weather conditions. It's worth mentioning that these other V-16 signs, as is the case with Help Flash, must also be approved by the Directorate General of Traffic. For this to happen, the device must meet the following requirements:Irradiation: The optical system shall be designed so that the light covers a horizontal field of visibility of 360 degrees and a vertical field of visibility of a minimum of ±8 degrees upwards and downwards.
Luminous intensity: The intensity must be between 40 and 80 effective candles at grade 0, and at grades ±8, a minimum of 25 candles. This intensity must be maintained for at least 30 minutes.
IP protection rating: at least IP54.
Stability: The equipment shall be designed to remain stable on a flat surface, not moving in the presence of an air current exerting a dynamic pressure of 180 Pa.
Flash frequency: between 0.8 and 2 Hz.
Operation: It will be guaranteed at temperatures between -10°C and 50°C.
Tests: Compliance with the defined characteristics will be verified in a laboratory accredited in accordance with the UNE EN-ISO 17025 standard by the National Accreditation Entity for UNECE Regulation 65.
