Review of Directive 96/53/EC on weights and dimensions Safer and more environmentally fiendly lorries DG MOVE D3 January 2014
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Impact Assessment Problems identified following stakeholder consultations:
The Weight and Dimension limits imposed by the Directive are one of the obstacles to energy efficiency of road transport and to intermodal transport. Moreover, the effectiveness of the Directive is hampered due to lack of compliance by transport operators
General objectives:
Improve energy efficiency of road transport and intermodal transport by revising certain limits on weights and dimensions of road vehicles while maintaining the balance between the requirements of infrastructure maintenance, road safety and the protection of the environment; Provide for a fairer playing field and thereby enhance the internal market for road transport |
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Impact Assessment Policy options:
15 policy measures addressing the identified problems were retained 3 Policy Packages (1. 'Limited revision', 2. 'More extensive revision' and 3. 'More binding regulatory approach') were formed all addressing the issues of energy efficiency and of enhancing the rules governing the functioning of the internal market.
Conclusion:
Policy Package 2, ensuring a high likelihood of achieving the objectives of the IA at a reasonably low cost and without causing undue trade-offs between environmental, social and economic impacts, should be the preferred option. This conclusion is supported by the partial cost-benefit analysis performed in this IA indicating that Policy Package 2 would result in a benefit-cost ratio higher than one. |
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Objectives of revision Improve aerodynamic performance of heavy goods vehicles and coaches to save fuel and reduce emissions Take the opportunity of a redesign of the tractors to increase safety of road users Support intermodality Make enforcement more effective, to reduce overweight transport Clarify the legal uncertainty with respect to derogations related to longer trucks (article 4) |
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Experiences with the use of longer trucks SE
FI
NL
DK
DE
Infrastructure costs
0
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0
+ (positive CBA)
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Traffic flows
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0
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-/0
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Safety
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0
0
0
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GHG
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0/+
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0: No impact +: Positive impact -: Negative impact
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Aerodynamic performance of vehicles Maximum dimensions in directive 96/53 are not modified Derogation on the length to attach rear flaps to the vehicle
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Aerodynamic performance of the vehicle Derogation on the length of the tractor to redesign the front of the vehicle to introduce a more aerodynamic shape Adoption of essential requirements for front of the cab and rear flaps by the Commission, with the help of an expert group: 1st meeting: 30-05-2013 2nd meeting 24-10-2013 3rd : 18-02-2014
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Enhanced road safety • Possibilities given to manufacturers to : • • • •
Improve driver vision Deflecting shape to prevent pedestrians and cyclists from being overrun in the event of an accident in low speed impact A crumple zone in the front of the cab, to reduce the impact of frontal collisions Airbags to drivers
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More effective enforcement •
Obligation to the Member States to perform targeted checks on vehicles so as to avoid unnecessary stops: • • •
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Categorization of infringements depending on the overweight or excess length •
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Use of weigh-in-motion stations And/or encouraging the equipping of vehicles with onboard weighing devices, able to communicate with roadside officers by a DSRC link And/or risk-profiling companies
Can go up to the loss of good repute in case of 20 % overload or length
Introducing joint liability: Responsibility for infringements shared between haulier and shipper for containers |
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Intermodality and other issues • Derogation for an extra 15 cm in the length of trailers to carry 45' containers in intermodal transport
• 45' containers carried at 44 tonnes as are 40' • 1 tonne extra weight for long distance coaches • 1 extra tonne for electric and hybrid trucks
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Facts and Figures • More aerodynamic cabs and trailers can reduce fuel consumption by up to 10% - or reduce the annual fuel bill by around € 5000 for an average long distance truck • The same amount of CO2 emissions (or 7.8 tonnes) and harmful emissions can be avoided • Cost of trailer rear flap: € 3000 • 300-500 lives of vulnerable users per year could be saved (10% in EU road deaths involving trucks) by redesigning cabs • Overloaded trucks cause EU road damages costing taxpayers € 950 million per year. Overloading also increase safety risks • 75.000 trucks are stopped unnecessarily per year leading to 140.000 of man-hours wasted by the enforcement authorities, and countless industrial processes being delayed for no good reason |
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Status of the file • COM(2013) 195 adopted by COM on 15 04 2013
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Parliament MEP Leichtfried (AT – S&D) rapporteur 365 amendments Vote in TRAN scheduled in February 2014 Vote in plenary scheduled before the end of this Parliament, in April 2014 |
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Thank you for your attention
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