Heavy goods vehicles have to conform to maximum dimension and weight limits if they want to cross European internal borders. Currently, the maximum permitted length is 16.50 metres for articulated vehicles and 18.75 metres for road trains, with a total combined weight of 40 tonnes. Longer and heavier vehicles (LHVs) (also known as Gigaliner, EuroCombi, EcoLiner, innovative commercial vehicle, mega-truck, etc…) are trucks typically measuring 25.25 metres in length and weighing up to 60 tonnes. Longer and heavier vehicles were already permitted in Finland and Sweden since before these Nordic countries joined the European Union in 1995. Directive 96/53/EC allows Member States to use such vehicles at national level under the concept of the European Modular System (EMS). However, LHVs are not allowed to cross borders. Some Member States, including the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany have carried out trials, some of them for several years, allowing such vehicles to run on the national road network. In these cases, a special temporary permission is given, in line with the EU legislation allowing for exemptions, and the vehicles can be operated under prescribed conditions on certain parts of the national road network. The haulage industry has shown a vivid interest in loosening current restrictions and enabling LHVs to cross international borders. During recent political debates, the advocates of those vehicles conceded to restrict the weight to only 50 or even 40 tonnes while keeping the maximum length at 25.25 meters. Still, such a vehicle would be as long as six passenger cars and a little shorter than, but weighing as much as, a fully loaded Boeing 737-300. Public opposition to LHVs has been on the rise for several years. Nowadays, some 212 organisations from 24 countries oppose them, usually on environmental grounds. A great number of studies have been produced evaluating the impact of LHVs on the transport system. Beside a set of national reports, the OECD has set up a task force to summarise up-to-date knowledge available on the impact of LHVs on the transport system. The OECD study represents a starting point for ETSC’s position on the likely safety impact of such vehicles. While considering all major aspects of the impact of LHVs on the safety of the transport system, the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) calls for a careful consideration of the safety aspects listed below when discussing various scenarios of changes to the EC Directive on the maximum dimensions and weight of HGVs. The safety impact of LHVs is determined by the aspects listed in this paper which are grouped under likely negative and likely positive ones. (Author/publisher)
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