Have you suffered an accident or a breakdown? The DGT will know the exact location

Next July, the Directorate General of Traffic will introduce new regulations that will make it possible to know the exact location where a driver has been left stranded or has suffered a traffic accident. Roadside assistance vehicles such as tow trucks or assistance vehicles will have the obligation to report to Traffic, in real time, the specific situation and condition of the vehicle being assisted.

In this way, the drivers of rescue cars and tow trucks will have to geolocate the position of the vehicle they are assisting and provide the name of the road and the kilometre point. The data will reach the Traffic data centre immediately. By knowing the position and condition of the vehicle, the Directorate General of Traffic will be able to act more quickly by sending agents to the area, signalling the section of the accident or breakdown and even facilitating the movement of other vehicles.

The DGT wants roads to be safer

In addition, assistance vehicles will have priority of way when they are engaged in a rescue service and have communicated their situation to the Directorate General of Traffic. According to the DGT, “the aim of the new regulation of roadside assistance services is to guarantee the removal of obstacles from the road in the shortest time possible and in the safest way”.

Communication between rescue vehicles will be carried out through the platform called DGT 3.0. This application aims to ‘unite’ road users to keep them informed of everything happening on the roads. This application is just starting to operate, but it will reach full operability in 2025. Through this application, rescue vehicles will be able to communicate, in real time, the location of the assisted vehicle. As the implementation of this platform progresses, drivers will be able to know about roadworks, possible detours, etc.

The long-awaited geolocation will also be possible thanks to the use of new V-16 emergency lights. They will be mandatory from 2016 and must be connected. These systems must be attached by magnet to the upper part of the vehicle.

However, it should be noted that since 31 March 2018, all new cars must be fitted with the eCall emergency call system. This system is capable of automatically alerting 112. In the event of an accident, the operator will be able to provide information about the vehicle such as the type of vehicle, the time of the accident, passengers, location and even the fuel it uses. According to the DGT itself, “one of the main objectives of the eCall system is to reduce the response time of emergency services by 50% in rural areas and by 40% in urban areas”. This system also works by pressing the SOS button.