Barcelona equips municipal vehicles with new “blind spot” signs

The aim is to further increase traffic safety on the city’s streets

Municipal vehicles driving and working on the streets of Barcelona are already featuring a special sign which warns cyclists and vehicles driving behind them to be mindful of the blind spots. The overall aim is to reduce the traffic risks and decrease injuries and fatalities stemming from easily avoidable accidents.

A total of 2,199 vehicles will be signposted, and this will help other drivers to avoid risks and be in a visible place. The sign will be placed on vehicles in the cleaning park, parks and gardens, maintenance of the urban space, the City Guard or the Fire and Rescue Prevention Service (SPEIS), among others.

Healthy and safe mobility

The initiative is part of a series of actions being taken in the European Union to reduce the risk of accidents by improving the visibility of people driving delivery vans, buses and lorries. In the long run, advanced driving assistance systems will have to be incorporated into all vehicles.

The priority of Barcelona’s 2024 Urban Mobility Plan is to reduce accidents in the city. It also aims to promote sustainable, healthy and safe mobility, so the city council is working with the traffic authorities and other state councils to define and implement this new blind spot signage.

The placement of the signal is voluntary and affects passenger transport vehicles with more than nine seats, including the driver (vehicles of categories M2 and M3, according to the General Vehicle Regulations), goods transport vehicles of the categories N1, N2 and N3 and urban waste vehicles.

Last year saw 7,000 traffic accidents recorded, an increase of 23.4% compared to 2020 but a drop of over 24% compared to 2019. The group with the highest mortality rate were motorcyclists, who also suffered the most serious injuries (84), followed by pedestrians (41), cyclists (6), riders of personal mobility vehicles (6) and mopeds (4). In all, vulnerable groups accounted for 85% of those seriously injured.

The main direct cause of accidents continues to be a lack of concentration by drivers and riders, and not respecting safety distances.