WARNING SHOTS
Page 5
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you've got to hand to Brussels. It certainly knows how to write a snappy title for a planned legislative document. For example: "Proposal for a council regulation amending council regulation (EEC) No 3821/85 and council directive No 88/599/EEC on recording equipment in road transport". It's probably port of an official EU plan to subsidise the Union's paper industry. After that racy start it then settles down to set out a basic specification for a successor to the tachograph. However, as with so much of the proposed legislation originating from Brussels, it leaves you wondering whether the people drawing it up actually have any practical operating experience in road transport. We only ask because under the section marked "Warning Signals" there are some wonderful suggestions for the new recording equipment. For example any device should be capable of giving "a warning to the driver of 30 seconds before exceeding 4.5 hours driving time per period of driving time and 9 hours daily driving time." Fat lot of good that would do. By the time you'd realised what was happening your 30 seconds would be up, just as you passed the last exit on the M6 for 12 miles. Given the difficulty in calculating remaining driving time, a warning is a good idea. But let's be sensible. Start with 30 minutes driving left, then 15 and finally five. That way the driver can plan where to stop. With 30 seconds left, many will offer a pithy epithet and carry on driving. Perhaps the best idea is that trucks should have an "external warning signal, visible to other road users" which will show whether a driver has exceeded his hours or is driving without a tack° card in place. This will surely be well supported. But why stop there? Why not put them on the houses of TV licence dodgers? Or on people who swear to tell the truth in court. And certainly put them on any politician promising a "firm commitment".
Unfortunately they've then spoilt it by adding: "In cases of necessi, this signal can be interrupted by breaking a sealed switch." Come, come, gentlemen, too many drivers and hauliers are already pulling fuses on tachographs and speed limiters, you're surely not suggesting giving them another one to play with? Let's try and keep it least one foot firmly planted on the ground.