Currently, agricultural vehicles are not registered and licensed. Licensing is often suggested for various reasons (e.g. by the Dutch Safety Board), among other things because it would make it possible to enforce ‘on licence plate’ and control of possible technical approval would be made easier. Both are expected to have a positive safety effect [2].
Early 2013, Dutch Parliament adopted the ‘Kuiken motion’ [15] which called for licensing agricultural vehicles. The legislative proposal of the Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment (IenM) to make this possible, and at the same time increase the speed limit for agricultural vehicles from 25 km/h to 40 km/h, was widely carried by the relevant parties,[i], but was still rejected in Parliament on 13 December 2016. However, a motion to increase the maximum speed to 40 km/h was adopted [9]. On 1 June 2017, the Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment once more presented a proposal for the introduction of licensing [16]. She considers this the only solution to comply with the EU legislation of an MOT for tractors with a maximum construction speed of more than 40 km/h and as a precondition for a possible increase of the speed limit to 40 km/h.
As it is unknown to what extent the technical condition of the agricultural vehicles or traffic violations by drivers of agricultural vehicles lead to (additional) unsafety, it is impossible to make an accurate estimate of the effects of improved enforcement and control of technical requirements in advance.
[i] Including important interest groups from agricultural and transport sector such as: LTO, the Dutch Federation of Agriculture and Horticulture, CUMELA Nederland, branch association for entrepreneurs in green, ground and infrastructure, RAI, Association representing the interests of manufacturers and importers of cars, trucks, trailers and semitrailers, car bodies and special vehicles, motorcycles and scooters, (light) mopeds, and bicycles, EVO, association for entrepreneurs in logistics and transport, and TLN, the Dutch Association for Transport and Logistics.