The Rise of E-Commerce Demands Improved Van Safety

Sign up for our weekly email to stay on top of the latest news and insights!

With the explosion of e-commerce, especially heightened by the pandemic-driven surge in home deliveries, the safety of light delivery vans has become a pressing concern. According to a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), implementing advanced safety features in these vehicles could significantly reduce crash rates. Nearly 40% of fatal crashes involving light vans could be mitigated with better safety technology.

Key Highlights:

• Advanced Safety Features: Equip light vans with front crash prevention, lane departure prevention, blind spot detection, and intelligent speed assistance (ISA).
• Impact on Crash Rates: Potential to decrease 26% of all police-reported crashes, 22% of injury crashes, and 37% of fatal crashes.
• Industry Response: Manufacturers are increasingly standardizing these safety features on new models.
• Technological Effectiveness: Current technologies like automatic emergency braking (AEB) have already shown success in reducing crashes.

Light vans, characterized by vehicles like the Ford Transit and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, have become more prevalent on the roads, escalating concerns over their safety. Larger in size and mass, these vehicles pose increased risks in collisions, particularly with smaller vehicles and pedestrians. In fact, pedestrian fatalities have escalated by 83% since 2009, with a similar increase in bicyclist deaths.

The IIHS study utilized federal crash data spanning from 2016 to 2021 to analyze the impact of safety technologies. The findings suggested that front crash prevention could address 17% of total crashes and about 20% of fatal incidents involving light vans. Lane departure prevention was found effective in 11% of fatal crashes, while blind spot detection and ISA showed potential in significantly reducing crash rates as well.

Despite the promising data, the reality of achieving full fleet implementation is complex. Many vans still in service lack these technologies, and aftermarket solutions are not yet universally adopted. However, as IIHS President David Harkey emphasizes, “The potential benefits of these technologies are simply too big to ignore. Manufacturers should make them standard equipment as soon as possible, and fleet owners should explore aftermarket products for their current delivery vans.”

The urgency to enhance van safety aligns with the overall increase in e-commerce activities, making it vital for continuous advancements in vehicle safety features to keep pace with the growth of delivery fleets. This not only benefits delivery companies but also substantially enhances safety for all road users.