Joint award from DVR, EVU, and DEKRA

DocStop initiative honored with the European Commercial Vehicle Safety Award

Sep 21, 2026

The German association DocStop für Europäer e.V. has been honored with the European Commercial Vehicle Safety Award 2026. The prize was awarded for the 37th time jointly by the European Association for Accident Research and Analysis (EVU), the expert organization DEKRA and the German Road Safety Council (DVR). The award was presented to DocStop chairman Joachim Fehrenkötter at the EVU Annual Conference in Žilina, Slovakia.

The DocStop initiative was launched in Germany in 2007 to support both domestic and foreign truck drivers by providing straightforward medical care. Since its founding, the association’s work has focused on providing rapid, professional assistance for health issues that arise while on the road.

Initially, a tightly-knit network was established in Germany. Today, more than 700 medical practices and clinics participate in the program where affected drivers can receive treatment so they can continue their journey – provided it is medically safe to do so – well cared for. After all, only those who are healthy can drive safely and pose no danger to themselves or others. The service has since been expanded to include France and Austria, among other countries, and has been enhanced with a 24-hour hotline and a telemedicine component.

The doctors and clinics in the DocStop network primarily assist with “milder” ailments for which one would normally visit a family doctor, such as severe colds, persistent headaches, sudden back pain, or toothaches. “Suffering from such ailments while driving has the potential to endanger road safety because they impair the ability to concentrate. It becomes particularly dangerous when drivers take medication without medical supervision, resulting in a negative effect on their ability to drive,” said Stefan Grieger, CEO of the German Road Safety Council (DVR).

“The tremendous volunteer commitment of DocStop’s members and board deserves the utmost respect,” said EVU Chairman Prof. Michael Weyde. “DocStop’s contribution to road safety over the past nearly 20 years cannot be overstated. That is why it is more than justified that – following 36 individuals – a volunteer initiative is receiving the European Commercial Vehicle Safety Award for the first time this year.”

Jann Fehlauer, Managing Director of DEKRA Automobil GmbH, commented on the award: “The health of professional drivers plays an absolutely crucial role in road safety. This has once again been made clear, in particular, by the latest DEKRA Road Safety Report titled ‘Working in Road Traffic’. The DocStop association is an absolute pioneer in this field and is therefore a very deserving recipient of this award.”

List of recipients to date

1990 Professor Paul Strifler (Daimler), Germany

1991 Professor Nikolaus Marx (University of Bremen), Germany

1992 Professor Ernst Göhring (Daimler), Germany

1993 Professor Klaus Langwieder (European Insurances Association), Germany

1994 Professor Egon-Christian von Glasner (Daimler), Germany

1995 Professor Gyula Köfalvi (Széchenyi István University), Györ, Hungary

1996 Siegfried Werber (DVR), Germany

1997 Professor Pál Michelberger (University of Budapest, President of FISITA), Hungary

1998 Eric Thoms (Scania), Sweden

1999 Toru Kajiyama (Isuzu), Japan

2000 Richard Hildebrandt (Allied Signal), USA

2001 Paul Oppenheimer MBE (Lucas-Girling), Great Britain

2002 Professor Jovan Todorovic (University of Belgrade), Serbia

2003 Bernard Tripier (Bosch), France

2004 Professor Sigmar Micke (Bosch), USA

2005 Friedrich-Wilhelm Matzner (Bendiberica), Spain

2006 Dr. Fujio Momiyama (Hino), Japan

2007 Dr. Jürgen Trost (Daimler), Germany

2008 Lennart Svenson (Volvo), Sweden

2009 Professor László Palkovics (Knorr), Hungary

2010 Professor Hartmut Marwitz (Daimler), Germany

2011 Hidehiko Enomoto (Hino), Japan

2012 Eberhard Hipp (MAN), Germany

2013 Christian Börner (BG Fahrzeuge), Germany

2014 Dr. Erwin Petersen (WABCO), Germany

2015 Professor Jörg Zürn (Daimler), Germany

2016 Dr. Christian Wiehen (WABCO), Germany

2017 Fredrich Claezon (Scania), Sweden

2018 Alexander Berg (DEKRA), Germany

2019 Dr. Stefan Guserle (MAN), Germany

2020 Kay Morschheuser (Daimler), Germany

2021 Joachim Werner (Iveco), Germany

2022 Walter Niewöhner (DEKRA), Germany

2023 Ingo Scherhaufer (Daimler Truck), Germany

2024 Andreas Wingert (Mitsubishi Fuso), Japan / Germany

2025 Anna Theander (Volvo Group), Sweden

2026 DocStop für Europäer e.V. (DocStop for Europeans association), Germany