Drivers beat HGV speed limiters
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by Mike Jewell and Miles BrignalI
• At least four major truck manufacturers are producing vehicles which allow drivers to disable their speed limiters by doing something as simple as pumping the accelerator pedal.
Volvo, Renault, Scania and Iveco all make models that allow a driver to get around the limiter using nothing more than the truck's existing controls, drivers have told East Anglian traffic examiner Richard Mutimer.
Mutimer made the claims while giving evidence at a public inquiry before Eastern Traffic Commissioner Geoffrey Simms, who was hearing the case of 12 drivers employed by Newmarket firm DC Ball Transport.
Mutimer said an examination of 1,257 of the firm's tachograph records for the period September 1996 to March 1997 revealed 477 instances of excessive speed, and it was clear the drivers had been over-riding the limiters.
The inquiry was told that, except in one instance, no device or equipment of any description was needed to turn off the lint iters. The Scanias and Volvos in question were new or relatively new.
The drivers had admitted the speeding, saying it was caused by over-running when going down a hill, or by pressing the accel erator twice, bypassing the limiter and allowing them to overtake other vehicles.
Speaking after the inquiry, Mutimer said the way modern trucks' management systems are linked to speed limiters means it is very easy to find ways to turn them off. "This is generally down to poor design. The problem is once a driver works out how to turn off the limiter, it goes round very quickly."
Ball's drivers' HGV licences were either revoked or suspended for between five and 14 days. • Eastern IC Geoffrey Simms is so shocked he is calling for an explanation from the manufacturers as to whether they are aware of the simplicity with „,pwhich such equipment can be over-ridden.
He says he requires a binding commitment from them that they will investigate and rectify the inability of speed limiters fitted to their products to perform the function the law requires of them.
Simms is not the first IC to ask this question. Last year Scottish IC Michael Betts asked Leyland Daf to explain why it marked limiter fuses with yellow paint, which, he said, was almost "tempting hauliers to interfere with them".