Vans: The Great Forgotten in Road Safety

Vans are the great forgotten elements of the Road Safety strategy. This has been acknowledged by the DGT itself, which recently held a dedicated event on these vehicles, bringing together experts and industry leaders to open a debate that will allow progress toward developing a specific plan to improve road safety for this group.

"While passenger cars and trucks have specific permits, precise technical inspections, specific training activities, as well as their own monitoring and control plans, vans remain outside these measures," said DGT director Pere Navarro, who emphasized the need to "pay more attention to a type of vehicle that has grown and is essential to much of our country's economic activity."

Double the number of deaths in 2024

For his part, the director of the Road Safety Observatory, Alvaro Gómez, explained how 79 road fatalities were recorded in 2024, almost double the number in 2023. In the city, there were six fatalities, compared to four a year earlier. However, accidents continue to significantly affect the most vulnerable road users.

For Traffic, another "sensitive" aspect is the consumption of alcohol, drugs or psychotropic drugs among deceased drivers, given that, in 2024, 41% of van drivers who lost their lives on the road and underwent autopsy tested positive in toxicological tests, a percentage that, although slightly lower than the general (48%), shows "an added risk factor" since they are vehicles that, due to their weight and volume, are more delicate to handle.

The expert also noted that the average age of the vehicles involved remains high at almost 14 years, an age that rises to 16.7 years for the vans in which the deceased were traveling. At the same time, according to the DGT (Directorate-General for Traffic and Transport), fatal workplace traffic accidents during work hours increased from 93 in 2023 to 96 in 2024, while those recorded while commuting increased from 140 to 150 during the same period. "It's not just about numbers, but about the combination of an aging fleet, long working hours, and intensive vehicle use that increases the risk on the road," Gómez concluded.

Evolution of the park

For his part, the Deputy Director of Mobility and Technology at the DGT, Francisco Ruiz Boada, focused on the mobility of vans, recalling that the fleet in Spain has grown by 23% in the last decade (15% for passenger cars), although it shows clear signs of aging, as nearly 40% are over 20 years old and the average fleet in circulation is 12 years old (almost 15 for cars).

Furthermore, the market is shifting toward higher-capacity vehicles, as the number of vans with a payload of over 1,000 kilos has grown by 73% since 2007, while those under 500 kilos, which in 1984 represented 80% of registrations, have barely reached 6%.

The intensive use of the sector is another "key" factor, as in 2023 vans accounted for 8.8% of total traffic, with differences depending on age and service. The newest vans travel an average of 28,000 kilometers per year, compared to 10,000 for the oldest, and those dedicated to public freight transport exceed 50,000 kilometers.

Sanctions alone are not enough

In this context, and with the aim of improving van safety, the DGT ( Directorate-General for Traffic) and the Civil Guard's Traffic Group have established a specific working group to design proposals aimed at improving safety associated with the professional use of delivery vans, especially in urban and suburban areas, through integrated actions. In this regard, control and surveillance will be intensified in areas such as speeding, alcohol or drug use, improper stowage, distracted driving, and technical deficiencies in tires, brakes, and lighting.

The third and final section focused on the business sector. According to UNO's managing director, Rafael Aguilera, the rise of e-commerce has transformed urban mobility and van accidents in Spain. He advocated for fleet renewal, something that "is not just an environmental issue , but, above all, a safety issue for everyone." Likewise, Aecoc's mobility and DUM manager, Jose Carlos Espeso, highlighted the operational and regulatory complexity faced by companies and drivers, especially in increasingly crowded urban environments, where pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists coexist, increasing risks . "If we want to reduce accidents, it's not enough to tighten regulations; we need specific training, greater awareness, and logistical planning adapted to the new realities of mobility," he concluded.