At What Age Does the Risk of Accidents Due to Technical Failures in Cars Increase?

Spain is one of the European Union countries with the oldest vehicle fleet, averaging 15.1 years, according to recent data from the DGT. Trucks are the vehicles that have aged the most, while Melilla, Castilla y León, and Extremadura have the oldest automotive fleets. This age is significantly higher than the European average of 12.5 years, only surpassed by countries like the Czech Republic (16.2 years), Estonia (16.8), and Greece (17.5).

A figure that, as the ITV sector assures, is directly related to road safety. Therefore, we should ask ourselves to what extent the age of a car can be responsible for accidents resulting from mechanical failure and from what age it is more likely to experience a potentially dangerous breakdown.

According to the study "Contribution of the ITV to Road Safety and the Environment" by the Carlos III University of Madrid, older vehicles exhibit a higher number of defects, making them statistically more unsafe and less environmentally friendly.

In fact, the report found a clear correlation between the severity of road accidents and the age of the vehicles involved. Empirical observation shows that between the fifth and sixth year, the risk of serious road accidents (with fatalities) related to technical failures increases substantially.

However, there is a third factor that also affects road accident rates: the condition of the vehicle's ITV. DGT figures highlight the relationship between the age of the vehicle involved in a road accident and the state of its technical inspection. The older the vehicle, the higher the percentage of vehicles with expired ITV at the time of the accident.

Concrete data evidence this relationship between a vehicle's age, its ITV status, and its safety. For example, the number of trucks and tractor units over 3,500 kg without ITV and over 10 years old involved in fatal road accidents increased by 78% between 2017 and 2022. This figure stands at 11% for motorcycles, 9% for vans, and 3% for cars.

"These figures show the importance of proper vehicle maintenance as they age. But also of ensuring that all vehicles on our roads, regardless of their age, have a valid ITV, as this is the only way to guarantee they meet the minimum safety and environmental standards from a technical point of view," says Guillermo Magaz, managing director of AECA-ITV.

Regarding the type of vehicle, trucks are the oldest in the automotive fleet and have aged the most in recent years in Spain. The average age of these industrial vehicles has increased by 29.5%, from 14.2 years in 2017 to 18.4 years by the end of 2024. Trucks are followed by vans with an average age of 17.8 years; motorcycles with 16.9 years, and trailers with an average of 16.6 years.

On the opposite side, the youngest vehicles in the Spanish automotive fleet are cars, with an average of 14.1 years, and buses, with 14.5 years.

Regarding the autonomous communities with the oldest automotive fleet in Spain, we have: firstly, the autonomous city of Melilla, with vehicles averaging 17.8 years; secondly, the autonomous community of Castilla y León with vehicles averaging 17.1 years, and thirdly, Extremadura, with an average fleet age of 16.9 years.

Conversely, the autonomous communities with the youngest vehicles are: the Community of Madrid, with vehicles averaging 11.6 years; secondly, the Basque Country with 14.8 years, and thirdly, the Valencian Community with a vehicle fleet averaging 15 years.