Campaign Focussing on Trucks, Buses and Vans

All this week and through the weekend, Spain has joined most countries in the European Union focussing on some of the bigger vehicles that move through the continent´s road network, namely trucks, buses and vans.

Distraction is one of the main causes of incidents involving this type of vehicle, and with 13% of all incidents involving a van, 11% involving a truck, the importance of campaigns like this is clear.

All of this week, there will be increased surveillance carried out on all kinds of roads and at any time of the day, especially on those roads where the intensity of this type of vehicles is greater

The Guardia Civil will be out in force carrying out the checks, supported by colleagues from the police in Spain, as part of the European campaign coordinated by the European Traffic Police Network, TISPOL.

Amongst the checks, speed will be monitored, as well as driving hours and rest, tachographs where fitted, vehicle weight and load, defects, and the driver´s and vehicle´s documentation, including insurance and ITV.

In addition, the drivers will be checked for the consumption of alcohol or drugs, and that all occupants in the vehicles are wearing a seat belt.

According to the most recent data published by the European Road Safety Observatory (ERSO), in 2016, approximately 4,000 people died in a traffic incident involving a cargo vehicle of more than 3.5 tonnes and there were 600 incidents in which a bus was involved.

The average mortality rate in the EU in incidents related to heavy vehicles is 8.1 per million inhabitants and 1.2 per million inhabitants for bus or coach incidents, which in the case of Spain is 6.1 and 1.4 respectively.

In 2017, vans were involved in 11,150 injury incidents in which 243 people died. Regarding trucks of more than 3,500 kg and buses, they were involved in 6,351 incidents with victims, in which 364 people died.

Since January, 2019, the maximum permitted speed on conventional roads is 90 kilometres per hour, where no other restriction is enforce, although there are further restrictions for these types of vehicles.

Trucks, articulated tractor trucks, vans, motor homes with a maximum authorised mass exceeding 3,500 kg, articulated vehicles, cars with trailers and other vehicles are limited to a maximum of 90 kilometres per hour on the motorway, and 80 kilometres per hour on conventional roads.

Buses, vehicles derived from cars and adaptable mixed vehicles are restricted to a maximum permitted speed of 100 kilometres per hour on motorways and 90 kilometres per hour on conventional roads, although other restrictions also apply, such as if they are carrying standing passengers or operating as school buses.

For cars, this limit is 120 kilometres per hour on motorways and 90 kilometres per hour on conventional roads.