Vehicle weight and dimension in national and international traffic

BRIEFING ON WEIGHTS AND DIMENSIONS

MOBILITY

SAFETY ENVIRONMENT

Executive Summary On 15 April 2013, the European Commission published amendments to Directive 96/53/EC, which concerns the maximum authorised dimensions and weights for trucks and buses. The amendments include increasing weight and measurement allowances for vehicles, in order to make them safer and more environmentally friendly, as well as setting out inspection procedures to ensure harmonisation of inspection methods across the EU. The Commission’s aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2050, as compared to 1990 levels.

The FIA fully supports the provisions to improve energy efficiency and driver visibility; yet other aspects of the proposal require a more pragmatic approach: 

Intermodal transport: FIA Region I supports the provisions increasing the length by 15 cm for vehicles transporting 45‐foot (13.7 meters) containers as this small increase does not constitute an additional risk to road safety. However, the FIA wishes to express its concern on the circulation of vehicles of more than 18.9 meters and heavier than 44 tons.

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Cross‐border use of longer vehicles: FIA Region I calls for more monitoring of the safety impact of longer vehicles and a more in‐depth debate on the different aspects around this proposal.

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Legislative Background On 15 April 2013, the European Commission released its proposal for a Directive on maximum authorised dimensions and weights for trucks and buses1, amending Directive 96/53/EC. The proposal aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the consumption of petroleum products in the field of road transport according to the goal set in the White Paper on Transport Policy2.

The main provisions of the proposal aim at: 

Redefining the geometry of the cab for tractors to reduce drivers’ blind spots and adding energy‐absorbing structures in case of shocks;

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Authorising a weight increase of one ton for vehicles with an electric or hybrid propulsion, to take account of the weight of batteries or the dual motorisation, without prejudice to the load capacity of the vehicle;

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Facilitating the development of intermodal transport by allowing an extension of 15 cm in the length of trucks carrying 45‐foot containers;

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Publishing guidelines on inspection procedures to ensure harmonisation of inspection methods between all Member States, especially on the illegal practice of overloading;

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Confirming that cross‐border use of longer vehicles is lawful for journeys that only cross one border, if the two Member States concerned already allow these types of vehicles and if the conditions and exceptions under the Directive are met.

FIA Region I Position Transport remains of vital importance for a competitive Europe. FIA Region I is therefore convinced that a sustainable and pragmatic approach to mobility‐related topics is needed to reach the ambitious goals set out in the White Paper on Transport. Optimisation of efficiency for all modes of transport should be sought to meet the needs of both consumers and operators. FIA Region I strongly supports all measures and technologies aiming at increasing the energy efficiency and safety of the heavy goods vehicles.

However, the FIA would like to draw the decision‐makers attention on the underestimated impact on the infrastructure and risks linked to the use of longer vehicles in Europe.

1

The European Commission, “Proposal for a Directive amending Directive 96/53/EC, of 25 July 1996, lays down, for certain road vehicles circulating within the Community, the maximum authorised dimensions in national and international traffic and the maximum authorised weights in international traffic”, Brussels, 15 April 2013. COM 2013/195 final 2 European Commission, “White Paper on Transport: Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area – Towards a competitive and resource efficient transport system. COM 2011/144 FIA REGION I ‐ RUE DE LA SCIENCE 41, 5TH FLOOR ‐ B‐1040 BRUSSELS, BELGIUM ‐ +32 2 282 0819 ‐ WWW.FIAREGION1.COM

Energy efficiency and driver visibility FIA Region I strongly welcomes the provisions aiming at improving the design of the heavy good vehicles cab allowing more energy efficiency as well as increasing driver visibility. Furthermore, all the measures contributing to the better protection of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists are highly supported by the FIA.

Intermodal transport FIA Region I supports the provisions increasing the length by 15 cm for the vehicles transporting 45‐foot containers as this small increase does not constitute an additional risk to road safety. However, the FIA remains concerned on the issue of longer vehicles, measuring more than 18.9 meters and being heavier than 44 tons.

Cross‐border use of longer vehicles Information currently available on the numerous field trials and research studies carried out in several European countries has not yet highlighted increased road safety risks to the cross border use of longer vehicles. Nevertheless, modifying vehicle dimensions may change the accident frequency and accident severity, which is why the FIA Region I calls on Member States and the European Commission to constantly monitor the safety impact of the increased use of longer vehicles when discussing possible changes to the Directive on the maximum dimensions and weights of heavy goods vehicles. Depending also on the infrastructure available, it may not always be possible for such vehicles to be driven in all parts of Europe.

According to FIA Region I, the following aspects should be considered in the debate on whether to allow longer and heavier vehicles: 

Implementation should be based on a step‐by‐step approach, ensuring a transparent legislative process. Harmonised guidelines on a minimum EU standard could be a first step, these could then be used by EU Member States, while leaving them some flexibility according to the principle of subsidiarity.

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Trials should be used to better investigate practical implications on a wider use of longer vehicles and not an automatic phase‐in of longer vehicles. In particular, considering that the European road infrastructure already suffers from severe and chronic under‐investment, impacts on the secondary road network needs to be further investigated and assessed.

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Information is a key factor: one of the main barriers for a constructive discussion on the role of longer and heavier vehicles is their acceptance by motorists and citizens. Measures which allow longer vehicles to drive only on motorways and dedicated networks, with normally higher safety standards, would probably be better perceived by motorists and would drastically reduce social concerns related to the potential implication for vulnerable users (cyclists, pedestrians, users of powered‐two‐wheelers) if they were better understood. On those roads, clear information should be given to road users, with specific signposts and accompanied by awareness initiatives.

FIA REGION I ‐ RUE DE LA SCIENCE 41, 5TH FLOOR ‐ B‐1040 BRUSSELS, BELGIUM ‐ +32 2 282 0819 ‐ WWW.FIAREGION1.COM

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There is a need to prevent potential negative impacts on secondary roads and to understand the implications in terms of ‘wear and tear’ on other types of road infrastructure. Bridges, tunnels, roundabouts, intersections, parking, etc., are designed based on current weight and dimensions of vehicles. Allowing longer and heavier vehicles to drive on secondary networks may necessitate additional investments to adapt the infrastructure to the demands of those vehicles. One of the most problematic aspects is the work needed on the access to terminals and logistics platforms on the outskirts of population centres: this also needs to be properly addressed with the direct involvement of the transport operators.

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On motorways and main corridors it is important to first consider whether parking areas would have to be enlarged and redesigned, considering also in many European countries they have already reached full capacity in many places. At the same time, it is important to continue enhancing the safety standards of tunnels, to mitigate the higher consequences of fires in tunnels due to larger loading volumes: the latest results of EuroTAP, an initiative of FIA member Clubs, show that important improvements in tunnel safety have been made in recent years.

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Safety issues can be properly addressed and the potential risk mitigated by ensuring that longer and heavier vehicles are equipped with the best safety technologies, such as advanced emergency braking systems, advanced collision avoidance, lane assistance systems, blind spot monitoring. Additionally, requiring a coherent driving training programme for truck drivers (ability to accelerate and come to a complete stop, overtaking manoeuvres) would increase safety and by providing motorists with practical advice on how to drive when approaching those vehicles (overtaking, safety distance, etc.).

Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Region I office FIA Region I represents 108 Touring and Motoring Clubs in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, which total more than 37 million members. The FIA represents the interest of these members as motorists, public transport users, pedestrians and tourists. The FIA’s primary goal is to secure a mobility that is safe, affordable, sustainable and efficient. Learn more at fiaregion1.com FIA REGION I ‐ RUE DE LA SCIENCE 41, 5TH FLOOR ‐ B‐1040 BRUSSELS, BELGIUM ‐ +32 2 282 0819 ‐ WWW.FIAREGION1.COM