The aging trucks and buses traversing the country’s national highways are the oldest in the EU and pose a serious threat to road safety, the results of a university study showed yesterday.

The study, prepared by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), found that the transport vehicles in Greece have an average age of 18 years versus an EU average of 12.5 years.

In neighboring Bulgaria and Turkey, the average ages stand at 12 and 13 years respectively.

Old trucks are almost five times more likely to cause a serious accident, according to the study.

“The need to offer incentives to update these heavy vehicles is pressing, as this will contribute to improved road safety and a reduction in fatal accidents,” said Matheos Karlaftis, associate professor at NTUA.