WRITTEN QUESTION E-2734/01 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Delay in introducing requirement to eliminate the blind spot in truck drivers' field of vision.
Date: 2001-10-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: approval, approximation of laws, commercial vehicle, drafting of EU law, pedestrian, road safety, safety device, two-wheeled vehicle

4.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/205

Any substantial withdrawal of sites proposed by a Member State for the Natura 2000 network must be
justified in terms both of the eligibility of those sites according to the scientific criteria of Annex III to
Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna
and flora (1). and of an analysis of the representation of the habitat types and habitats of species of
Community interest found in the sites. Should such withdrawal result in any habitat types or habitats of a
species of Community interest being insufficiently represented, the Member State will have to propose new
sites to make good the shortfalls revealed at the biogeographical seminars.

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(2002/C 81 E/245)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2734/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(5 October 2001)

Subject: Delay in introducing requirement to eliminate the blind spot in truck drivers(cid:146) field of vision

1.
Is the Commission aware that, particularly in densely populated areas where there are many cyclists
and pedestrians, numerous accidents occur because, when taking bends, a blind spot in the field of vision
of their exterior mirrors makes truck drivers insufficiently able to see whether they are running over
nearby people and objects?

Is the Commission aware that convex exterior mirrors are now available which enable truck drivers

2.
to see those parts of their surroundings which were previously invisible to them?

Can the Commission confirm that a quarter of all trucks have now been fitted with such mirrors on

3.
a voluntary basis but that it seems unlikely that the remainder will be fitted with them voluntarily?

Are national authorities being prevented by EU rules from making it compulsory to fit trucks with

4.
such mirrors in the near future?

If the answer to (4) is negative, which Member States are failing to exercise their right as national

5.
authorities to make the fitting of such mirrors compulsory?

6.
If the answer to (4) is affirmative, how will the Commission help to ensure that the new mirrors
become compulsory as soon as possible by immediately creating scope for the introduction of national
rules or by facilitating the prompt introduction of European rules?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(26 November 2001)

A number of accidents happen when vehicle drivers fail to detect pedestrians and other road users in one
of the blind spots, which exist in the area immediately around their vehicles. In the case of larger vehicles,
especially trucks, these accidents frequently lead to serious injuries or even fatalities.

industry and other
The Commission is aware of this problem and is discussing with Member States,
interested parties the possibilities to reduce the risk by requiring the installation of rear-view mirrors with
specific arrangements to reduce the blind-spots around vehicles.

in its Motor Vehicle Working Group the Commission has therefore
Following general agreement
established an expert ad-hoc group to modify the said directive. In three meetings in May, July and
September 2001 the group prepared a document, which proposes significant improvements to the existing
the technical development since the last amendment (1) of Council
situation taking into account
Directive 71/127/EEC of 1 March 1971 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating
to the rear-view mirrors of motor vehicles (2).

C 81 E/206

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.4.2002

The following modifications are foreseen:

(cid:129) the directive becomes mandatory for all kind of vehicles instead of being voluntary within the type-

approval system for light and heavy duty commercial vehicles;

(cid:129) additional mirrors shall be mounted to certain vehicles (front mirrors on trucks, exterior rear view
mirrors on the passenger(cid:146)s side of passenger cars) in order to increase the field of indirect view;

(cid:129) certain characteristics of mirrors (e.g. curvature of the surface) are modified according to technical

progress in order to increase the field of indirect view;

(cid:129) certain mirrors can be replaced by other systems for indirect view like camera/monitor systems.

(cid:129) although the structure of the original Directive 71/127 EEC has been maintained as much as possible
the content of this directive has been altered significantly. Therefore it is proposed to repeal Directive
71/127/EEC and its amendments and replace it by the new directive.

The Commission has prepared a final draft which has been sent to the Commission(cid:146)s Motor Vehicle
Working Group for discussion with Member States and industry. Following this a revised version was
prepared taking into account some comments but not changing the main elements of the original proposal
as discussed within the ad-hoc group. On 23 October 2001 the necessary consultation within the
Commission services was launched with a deadline of 14 November. Thereafter the proposal will be
amended, if necessary, and the procedure for the adoption as a Commission Proposal will commence.
Immediately after its adoption (foreseen for the end of November/beginning December) the text will be
transmitted to the European Parliament and the Council. The Commission expects support for this draft
since the reduction of blind spot areas around vehicles has been announced a priority issue for many
Member States.

Unlike the arrangements for passenger cars of category M1, a compulsory system of Community whole
vehicle type-approval (WVTA) has not been introduced for the type-approval of commercial vehicles of
category N1.

National type-approvals are therefore generally granted on the basis of a variable mix of national and
Community prescriptions. The manufacturer is free to decide on which particular set of
legislative
prescriptions (national or Community) a request for component type-approval should be based.

Member States are not therefore prevented from introducing national legislation which enables commercial
vehicles to be fitted with such mirrors.

The Commission has no statistical data about vehicles registered within the Community which are already
equipped with parts complying with the proposed measures nor has it data at its disposal about the kind
of legislation (national or Community) used for component type-approval.

(1) OJ L 147, 14.6.1988.
(2) OJ L 68, 22.3.1971.

(2002/C 81 E/246)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2759/01

by Jonas Sj(cid:246)stedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Single and double bulkheads inside road tankers

(9 October 2001)

Swedish is said to have been warned in late June 1998 for not accepting the import of road tankers with
single bulkheads. According to newspaper reports, the Commission maintained that the Swedish double
bulkhead requirement was unjustified on safety grounds.

Are these newspaper reports true? Will the Commission give further details and describe its views on the
matter?