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Work-related mobility: a risk still not fully integrated into prevention culture
The Second Workplace Road Safety Report in Spain, produced by GAD3 for RACE, confirms that work-related travel continues to be the main area of vulnerability in terms of prevention. Despite the progress made in organisations’ prevention culture, work-related mobility still presents significant shortcomings — particularly in in itinere journeys, that is, travel between home and the workplace — where risk levels remain high.
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One in three employees has experienced a work-related road accident
Twenty-nine per cent of employees report having suffered an in itinere road accident, while 21% say they have had an accident during working hours. When identifying the main risk factors, workers most frequently point to poor vehicle condition, cited by 73%, followed by working conditions (67%) and the state of the roads (58%).
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Self-employed workers: greater dependence on vehicles and lower preventive coverage
Among self-employed workers, the study confirms that exposure to risk during work-related travel is equally high. Twenty-nine per cent of the self-employed report having experienced an in itinere road accident, while 23% say they have had an accident during working hours. Within this group, eight out of ten identify fatigue, rushing and stress as the main factors increasing risk in their daily journeys.
From a preventive perspective, the data reveal significant shortcomings. Seventy per cent of self-employed workers report having received no training in workplace road safety, and 25% say they are unaware of their own insurance or coverage in the event of an accident. This situation reinforces the need for greater involvement from public authorities and for a specific preventive support approach tailored to the reality of the self-employed.
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Fatigue and stress: 8 out of 10 self-employed workers identify them as key risk factors
When asked about the main risk factors behind work-related road accidents, fatigue and stress emerge as the leading causes, cited by 81% of self-employed workers. These are followed by factors such as mobile phone use (69%), road or infrastructure conditions (65%), and heavy traffic (63%).
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Shortfall in safe driving training
Only 29% of self-employed workers report having received specific practical training in workplace road safety aimed at dealing with risk situations during work-related travel. Likewise, just 26% say that their company has a protocol in place to analyse work-related road accidents, and only 20% report the existence of a mobility plan.
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Improvement and further training for OSH managers
From the perspective of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) managers, the study shows that mobility now affects the majority of companies, including those outside the transport sector. Eighty-two per cent of these professionals believe that workplace road safety has improved in recent years, reflecting progress in prevention culture. In fact, when asked whether they had received specific training in 2025, 83% of OSH managers said that they had.
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Risk factors: poor road conditions, heavy traffic and more
Among the factors that most increase the risk of road accidents, OSH managers highlight poor road and infrastructure conditions, fatigue and stress, mobile phone use, heavy traffic and adverse weather conditions. These factors are identified consistently across all sectors. In addition, more than half of respondents believe that the risk of a road accident is higher during journeys to and from work than during the working day itself.
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Quantitative technical details:
Universe:
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Population resident in Spain employed as salaried workers
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Population resident in Spain working as self-employed
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Occupational Risk Prevention (ORP) managers in companies with more than 50 employees
Geographical scope: National.
Data collection method: Computer-assisted web interviews (CAWI).
Sample size:
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1,536 salaried workers
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515 self-employed workers
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522 Occupational Risk Prevention (ORP) managers
Margin of error:
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Salaried workers: ±2.6% (n = 1,536)
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Self-employed workers: ±4.4% (n = 515)
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ORP managers: ±4.5% (n = 522)
Interview duration: Approximately 7–10 minutes.
Fieldwork dates: 17 to 27 March 2025.
Questionnaire: Designed by GAD3 and RACE.
Institute: Gabinete de Análisis Demoscópico, S.L. (GAD3) C/ Alcalá 75 – 4th floor, left, 28009 – Madrid
Qualitative technical details:
Universe: Experts in occupational safety linked to trade unions, employers’ associations and Public Administration.
Geographical scope: National.
Sample characteristics: Five in-depth interviews were conducted, distributed as follows:
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One technical expert from a trade union: Comisiones Obreras
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Two technical experts from employers’ associations: the Self-Employed Workers’ Association (ATA) and the Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (CEPYME)
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Two technical experts from public institutions: the National Institute for Safety and Health at Work (Ministry of Labour and Social Economy) and the Directorate-General for Traffic (Ministry of the Interior)
Data collection method: Online in-depth interviews, moderated using a semi-structured guide.
Duration: Approximately 60 minutes per interview.
Fieldwork dates: Between 23 January and 12 February 2025.
