HGVs
Automated emergency braking systems on HGVs and buses will have to work better in the future thanks to tougher new standards agreed at the UNECE in Geneva which will apply in the EU from 2025 on new types of vehicle. The revision was prompted by collision investigations in Germany involving new lorries which found that the AEB system had been switched off by the driver. Lorry drivers apparently regularly switch off AEB systems in order to enable them to drive closer to the vehicle […]
The European Commission has proposed new rules governing the Trans-European Transport (TEN-T) networks, which include the major roads and motorways that crisscross the continent. The major piece of legislation, which covers many aspects of rail, air, maritime and road transport in the EU, also touches on road safety in a number of areas. One update is to ensure so-called TEN-T roads meet the standards for safety set out in the 2019 road infrastructure safety management directive. Specifically, the new regulations set a timeline for […]
The UK government has announced changes to HGV driving tests that have been criticised by the national haulage industry association as a ‘risk to road safety’. The move is an attempt to speed-up recruitment of new lorry drivers in response to an ongoing shortage across Europe, but one that has been compounded in the UK because of Brexit. Under the new plans, drivers will no longer have to pass two separate tests to move from a non-articulated to an articulated lorry. The requirement for […]
Fatigue among professional drivers is now the norm on European roads, according to a new study by the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), the first EU-wide study in 15 years on driver fatigue in passenger and freight road transport. The report, based on a survey of around 3000 truck, bus and coach drivers found that: 60% of truck drivers and 66% of bus and coach drivers said they had to drive while fatigued on a regular basis; Nearly 800 drivers said they nearly crashed and caused […]
Commenting on the data on road deaths in 2020 published today by the European Commission, Antonio Avenoso, Executive Director of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) said: “The EU has a new target for 2030 to reduce deaths and serious injuries by half. If we are to succeed this time, we need to avoid the mistakes of the past decade. The EU needs to act now, not wait years before taking action. Measures agreed in law should also not be weakened during the implementation […]
A group of European cities, including Berlin, Paris and London, have called on their national governments to address truck blind spots that put pedestrians and cyclists’ lives at risk. The cities call for an ambitious direct vision standard for trucks which would greatly improve road safety, particularly for vulnerable road users. This year national governments are due to pass a direct vision standard for trucks at the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) which should be applied across the European Union from 2026 thanks […]
14 December 2020 – Online Event – How to improve the safety of goods vehicles in the EU? 14:00-15:45 CET – Zoom Webinar Platform This online PIN Talk focused on the safety of goods vehicles in the EU, looking at goods vehicle safety but also the safety of goods vehicle drivers and all other road users. The agenda can be found here. Following welcome addresses from Ellen Townsend, ETSC, and Tjark Kreuzinger, Toyota Motor Europe, there were be presentations on: Findings of the PIN […]