FTA to run spray tests
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OBJECTIVE TESTS of spray suppression equipment are to be conducted next month by the Freight Transport Association to establish how effective different systems are.
It will conduct trials at the Transport and Road Research Laboratory at Crowthorne, Berkshire, early next month, comparing the effectiveness of vehicles with full Department of Transport standard equipment against vehicles with standard rectangular rear flaps, and with no equipment at all.
Results will be published by the ETA at a later date, but are not being collected for the DTp.
The trial is being conducted because the FTA is unhappy about the lack of performance data on the testing of spray suppression equipment for the regulations of spray equipment which are scheduled to take effect from November 1 next year.
It also is concerned about the proposal at present for all 167,000 tandem and tri-axle trailers over 16 tonnes gross vehicle weight to be fitted retrospectively with spray suppression gear by November 1985.
The FTA is looking for some accommodation for operators who have already fitted spray suppression which does not conform to the new standard.
It is looking for exemptions for vehicles upon which it is difficult to fit spray suppression equipment, and for clarification of how long a vehicle can be driven after the equipment is damaged. LAST MONTH's commercial vehicle sales were the best for April since the boom year, 1979, according to figures just released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
The registration of 25,966 vehicles was 9.95 per cent up on April last year, and sales for the year to date are up 7.5 per cent on the same period last year. This is only 216 short of the total for the first four months of 1980, which was an all-time pre-slump record.
Imports last month were up from 31.8 to 34.6 per cent, and for the first four months were up from last year's 32.4 to 34.3 per cent.