Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
Spain has introduced new rules regarding autonomous cars, including a DGT sticker.
Credit : dgt.es
If you’re driving through Spain and spot a car with no one behind the wheel, don’t panic – it’s not a sci-fi movie come to life. The new DGT stickers will make these vehicles instantly recognizable on the roads.
Why Spain tags driverless vehicles
The Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) has rolled out what it calls a ‘technological label’ – a circular, reddish-pink sticker that goes on the windscreen of autonomous or remotely operated cars taking part in official trials.
This sticker is not just for decoration. The sticker displays the registration number, automation level of the vehicle and even a QR code that links to DGT records. What is the goal? To make sure everyone – from police to pedestrians – knows when a car is driving itself. According to the DGT, “Spain is positioning themselves as a leading country in the safe implementation of automated vehicles.”
How will the tests actually work?
The new label forms part of Spain’s ES-AV Programme which is a framework to test autonomous vehicles on the road. The trials will be conducted in three phases, starting with early system tests and ending with full pre-deployment.
Over time, it’s possible to find yourself parked next to an autonomous car. Some will be fully autonomous, others remotely controlled, but all of them will be under DGT supervision – and carrying that distinctive sticker on the windscreen so there’s no confusion.
Spain’s road to driverless future
The sticker is mainly on test cars for now, but it signals the direction in which things are going. The goal is to educate the public and protect road users, while building trust, so that Spain will be ready when self-driving vehicles hit the market.
This small circle on a car’s windscreen represents much more than that. It is Spain putting their weight behind innovation while keeping safety at the forefront.
