EC plans to extend
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...and announce freight HO limit to vans
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• Officials at the European Commission are to consider extending the speed limiter requirement to cover vans, as well as trucks and coaches, in an attempt to improve road safety.
Speaking last week at the Transfilgoroute AGM (see left), John Berry, principal administrator in the EC's transport directorate, says a draft proposal should be ready within a year. However, the EC has yet to decide what size and type of vehicle constitutes a van for the purpose of this plan, and if the limit should be set at 90km/h (56mph), as it is for HGVs.
The main idea behind this proposal is to reduce road
accidents, but Berry says that there could also be a significant reduction in pollution because if vehicle speed were reduced, less fuel would be used to cover the same distance.
"We have a database on road accidents and the main basis would have to be on road safety," he adds. "I am fairly confident there is a case for limiting the top speed of light commercial vehicles."