Changes in the renewal of the CNH coincide with the anniversary of the automobile and reinforce the debate on road safety in Brazil
The date is a reference to May 13, 1886. On this day, the German Karl Benz patented what is considered the world’s first “useful” automobile. It was a tricycle presented in January of that year and patented in May. Coincidentally, May 13 is also celebrated as the Day of the Automobile and the Highway, instituted by President Getúlio Vargas in 1934. The date marks the inauguration of the first highway in Brazil: the Rio-Petrópolis highway.
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By another coincidence, the Official Gazette publishes on May 13 the law approved the day before by Congress that instituted the automatic renewal of the National Driver’s License (CNH). It applies to drivers who have not committed traffic violations in the previous 12 months. However, those over 50 and under 70 only benefit once. The rule does not reach those over 70 years old.
The obligation of medical examinations of physical and mental fitness, in addition to psychological evaluation, for the renewal of the CNH with a public price to be set by Senatran (formerly known as Denatran) was correctly maintained.
Also this May, the government of São Paulo announced a road safety plan with the objective of halving the number of deaths (19,000 saved) in traffic by 2030. The measures include, among others, identification of critical locations to direct investments, greater use of technology in inspection (more radars) and tightening risky behaviors (cell phone behind the wheel and, if you drink, don’t drive). The death rate has decreased in the state: in 2025 it was 13.24 per 100 thousand inhabitants, against 14.24 in 2015.
The numbers reported by Anfavea were positive: 225.8 thousand units, an increase of 2.4% over April 2025. More convincing are the results of the first four months, which totaled 872.6 thousand light and heavy vehicles and exceeded by 4.9% the same period last year, even with two fewer working days. Falling exports prevented better results from domestic manufacturers. The 142.4 thousand units showed a decrease of 16.9% over the first third of last year. Argentina, Brazil’s largest customer, shrank 30%.
An encouraging reference pointed out by Igor Calvet, president of the association, was the 15.6% growth in domestically manufactured vehicles. There was a practically symbolic retreat of imported vehicles, even without a guarantee that the scenario will remain so until the end of the year: share in sales of vehicles from abroad in the first four months was 19.7% in 2025 and 19.2% in 2026.
This result, however, did not discourage Abeifa (Brazilian Association of Automotive Vehicle Importers and Manufacturers), which has only nine associated brands, only two of which are produced domestically: BYD (Bahia) and JLR (Rio de Janeiro). Due to the very low comparative base, the growth percentages are obviously high. 63.5 thousand units were registered from January to April 2026, an increase of 65.3% compared to the 38.4 thousand registered in the same period of 2025. But that volume represented a shy portion of 9% of the total sold of light vehicles.
Another statistic, this time from the annual study of Sindipeças, showed a scenario only slightly less worrying regarding the average age of the real circulating fleet (light and heavy vehicles) in the country. In 2025 it was 11 years, while in 2024, it was 10 years and 11 months. Specifically, in the case of automobiles, the statistical result showed that the fleet has aged more than average: it rose from 11 years and 2 months to 11 years and five months. The three months above the average contrast with the same references for light commercial vehicles (it remained at eight years and 11 months), trucks (only one month older, 12 years and 3 months) and buses (slight improvement from 11 years and four months to 11 years and three months).
