From the 1st of January 1996 onwards, Belgian vehicles in use since 01/01/1988 and meeting the conditions of the European Directive 92/6.EEG - trucks with a maximal admissible weight (MAW) of more than 12 tons and busses with a MAW of over 10 tons - were obliged to have a maximum speed adapter. The maximum speed adapter is a system placed between the accelerator and the fuel injection pump. When driving under the speed limit, the accelerator control the fuel injection pump. When driving above the speed limit, not the accelerator, but the adapter controls the fuel injection pump. At the moment, about 4 out of 10 heavy vehicles are equipped with a maximum speed adapter. This only amounts to 1 out of 70 vehicles of the whole fleet. The speed adapter does not work as prescribed for a large number of equipped vehicles and this is whether or not because of fraud. (A)
Samenvatting