EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 70/72

(2004/C 70 E/075)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2017/03

by Jan Dhaene (PSE) to the Commission

(17 June 2003)

Subject: Technical equipment for trucks

In recent months, several appalling accidents involving truck drivers have happened on the international E17 Antwerp-Ghent-Lille motorway. In every case, the trucks were equipped with cruise control. Inattentive drivers collided at full speed with slow or stationary traffic which had been held up by roadworks.

This problem is not peculiar to the road concerned. All over Europe, accidents are happening in which cruise control is a factor, involving both trucks and private cars. These accidents cost lives. In recent weeks in Belgium alone, six people have been killed and 13 seriously injured in accidents involving cruise control.

Transport unions have also realised that cruise control does their drivers more harm than good.

On the other hand, the compulsory installation of systems to improve the field of vision (blind spot cameras and/or mirrors) on existing trucks has certainly made trucks less of a hazard to cyclists. Continuous side under-run protection (side skirts between the wheels of a truck) prevents cyclists from falling under the wheels of the truck if an accident happens.

The Commission:

1. Is it considering making it compulsory for trucks to have continuous side under-run protection? If so, how soon? May Member States introduce this requirement without European legislation on the subject?

2. Does it have sufficient data about the impact of cruise control in trucks on road safety?

3. Is it considering banning cruise control for trucks? If so, how soon is such a ban likely to take effect? May Member States impose such a ban without any amendment being made to the relevant European legislation?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(30 July 2003)

Directive 89/297/EEC (1) does not, strictly speaking, require the use of any means of flat, continuous protection, but does allow the use of one or more horizontal rails placed in such a way as to prevent cyclists from being caught under a vehicle. The Directive is optional and Member States may therefore make its application compulsory or optional in the framework of their national legislation. On 14 July 2003, the Commission proposed extending the type-approval procedure for motor vehicles covered by Directive 70/156/EEC (2) to include heavy goods vehicles and public passenger transport vehicles on the basis of a timetable to run from January 2006 to 2010 and by vehicle category. Once the Community procedure is in force, Directive 89/297/EEC will then apply to all lorries and semi-trailers registered for the first time.

With regard to cruise control devices, the Honourable Member is referred to the answer to Written Question E-1501/03 by Mrs Van Brempt (3). The Commission is concerned about the increase in the number of lorry accidents where the use of cruise control seems to be involved. It will endeavour to gather objective information to enable it to assess any measures which might be necessary.

(1) Council Directive 89/297/EEC of 13 April 1989 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the lateral protection (side guards) of certain motor vehicles and their trailers, OJ L 124, 5.5.1989.

(2) Council Directive 70/156/EEC of 6 February 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers, OJ L 42, 23.2.1970.

(3) See page 48.