FUTURE LEGISLATION
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Forthcoming changes in the law brought to you by the Freight Transport Association
Digital tachograph changes The second phase of changes due in October 2012 to the specification (first phase in October 2011) looks to increase security. To detect tampering, information from an independent motion sensor will be checked against the vehicle unit and any discrepancies will be logged and reported as motion conflict events. Mandatory upgrade or retrofitment is not required.
HSE cost recovery The government is proposing to introduce cost recovery for health and safety enforcement interventions in April 2013. Where an enforcement officer finds a material breach of regulations, the costs for all interventions, such as visits, phone calls, written advice (by letter or email), or issuing improvement or prohibition notices, will be charged using an hourly rate of about £124 until the issue is resolved by an improvement or a prosecution.
Daytime running lamps (DRL) DRLs to switch on automatically when the vehicle ignition switch enables the starting/ running of the engine. Already required for new van and car types, new vehicle truck types must have them fitted from 7 August 2012. There are no plans to retrofit or for older vehicles to have to use other lights in the daytime.
Tyre labelling An EU regulation requires all new tyres for sale to be classified and labelled for fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise performance from 1 November 2012. Similar to the labelling of household appliances, the labels will allow potential purchasers to compare these characteristics more easily.
Driver licensing fee changes The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is consulting on proposals to increase driver licence transaction fees to pay for the impending new requirement for vocational licence holders to administratively renew their licences every five years. Options look at how the cost of an additional £19.6bn will be borne by which customers. The changes are expected to be implemented in January 2013.
European Commission Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA) All new vehicles made or imported for sale in the UK or across the EU cannot be sold or registered for use on the road without an approval – no approval means no sale.
Introduced in phases from 2010, ECWVTA will also apply to: existing type medium and heavy CVs and trailers built in a single stage, as well as new type medium and heavy CVs built in multistages from October 2012; exist ing type LCVs built in multistages from October 2013; and existing type medium and heavy CVs built in multistages from October 2014.