In this study, the road safety aspects of a practical test for long and heavy lorries were investigated. The 'Long and Heavier Vehicles' (LHV's) Project Group preconditions were tested. Potential accident manoeuvres of long lorries were investigated using the most frequent accident manoeuvres. A qualitative test was conducted using the criterium that the accident risk during the LHV test was not to be greater than the risk of a conventional lorry. The road safety consequences of permitting LHV's to drive on urban and rural roads are handled. The aspects treated are: vehicles, infrastructure, behavioural rules, and drivers. It is concluded that the preconditions of the project group are justified for carrying out a practical test. It is, however, suggested that the preconditions be made a little more flexible for some points, and slightly more strict for other points. Making some of the preconditions more flexible can contribute to companies participating in the practical tests. The following preconditions are meant: (1) not to prescribe beforehand that driving will only be permitted outside the rush hours; (2) making closed side-shields obligatory to depend on the road stretch chosen; and (3) make less strict logistical preconditions for the road stretch. Sharpening the preconditions has the following effects: (i) a much stricter choice of road stretches regarding single carriageway roads and urban roads; (ii) selecting drivers based on their past carrier and their 'frustration tolerance'; and (iii) together with a driving school, making an obligatory long-enough distance headway.
Abstract