Worry about safety
More than one million vans are now registered in the Netherlands, AD reports. Figures from the RDW show that the magical limit has been reached, but that also raises concerns.
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, there will be about 9 million passenger cars in 2023 against that one million vans, which means that about 10 percent of the (usually) four-wheeled fleet consists of vans. It depends somewhat on which definition you use. The AD deliberately reports ‘vans’ and not ‘company cars’, because the Central Bureau of Statistics also distinguishes between these. According to Statistics Netherlands, a delivery van is a commercial vehicle that is primarily designed for the transport of goods, of course with a permitted maximum mass of 3,500 kg.
Volkswagen still proves to be supreme in this category, especially with the Caddy and the Transporter. Mercedes, Ford, Renault, Peugeot and Opel follow, in that order. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is the most popular among the larger vans. And the commercial vehicles are certainly popular. According to the same RDW data, we could just end up with a sales record this year, because so far 53,000 new copies have already been put on Dutch (‘grey’) license plates.
Dangerous
Veilig Verkeer Nederland (VVN) is not thrilled about the increase in the number of delivery vans on Dutch roads. This type of vehicle is remarkably often involved in an accident, where the chance of a fatal outcome is twice as high as with a passenger car. It is highly questionable whether this is due to the company cars themselves or to the drivers. Crowds with or at the throw and being behind on a delivery schedule can cause van drivers to be more easily distracted, worked up or tired, with all the consequences that entails. Because a considerable part of the growth in vans is caused by the increase in the number of internet shops with associated delivery services, the majority of serious accidents also take place in built-up areas. N-roads are the most dangerous across the board.
Veilig Verkeer Nederland calls on companies to keep driving personnel alert when it comes to safety, but also acknowledges that this is not always possible. Self-employed people who drive ‘for themselves’ are said to be difficult to reach with this message.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl