Trucks on the ITV: almost a third suspend it

According to the Spanish Association of Collaborating Entities of the Administration in the Technical Inspection of Vehicles (AECA-ITV), the fleet of trucks and tractor units has aged significantly in the last six years, increasing their average age by 21% . The average age has gone from 14.2 years in 2017 to 17.2 years in 2022. The problem is not limited to these vehicles, since aging also affects vans, whose average age has increased by 6% in the same period, reaching 17 years.

This trend has made trucks, tractor units and vans the oldest vehicles in the Spanish vehicle fleet, far exceeding the national average of 14.9 years.

Every year, ITV stations in Spain inspect around three million commercial vehicles weighing up to 3,500 kg, known as vans, with 76% passing the inspection on the first attempt. However, in the case of trucks and tractor units weighing more than 3,500 kg, only 71% pass on the first try. In this way, the remaining 29% are rejected for presenting serious defects.

The most detected defects vary depending on the type of vehicle:

• Vans up to 3,500 kg: 24% of failures are associated with lighting and signaling, followed by defects in wheels and suspension (21%) and polluting emissions (14%).
• Trucks and tractor units weighing more than 3,500 kg: Here, 29% of the failures are due to problems with the brakes, while 20% correspond to lighting and signaling. 13% of the failures are related to the exterior conditioning, bodywork and chassis.

The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has reported an alarming increase of 78% in the participation of trucks and tractor units over 10 years old without ITV in force in accidents with fatalities between 2019 and 2022. In the case of vans of up to 3,500 kg, this increase is 9%.

In addition, the lack of up-to-date ITV is the second cause of infractions committed by truck and van drivers, only surpassed by excessive speed.

Guillermo Magaz, managing director of AECA-ITV, insists on the importance of taking urgent measures to improve the safety of these vehicles, since their current state does not meet the minimum standards. It is considered essential to rejuvenate the vehicle fleet to prevent vehicles with defects that put road safety at risk from continuing to circulate.

In summary, it is crucial to reinforce awareness about the importance of keeping technical inspections up to date and taking measures to progressively renew the fleet, thus minimizing the risks that come with an aging vehicle fleet.