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LENGTH AND SPEED RESTRICTION

5th January 1968, Page 20
5th January 1968
Page 20
Page 20, 5th January 1968 — LENGTH AND SPEED RESTRICTION
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IN SWEDEN FOR ALL M1 moves

FOLLOWING Sweden's change from leftto right-hand drive, new maximum train lengths and speed regulations for commercial vehicles are giving concern to operators, writes our Swedish correspondent. All Swedish motor vehicle combinations are now (with effect from January 1) restricted to 24 metres and it is expected that a 70 km (38 mph) speed limit will be introduced for all trucks on main Swedish highways in the near future.

Until now there have been no overall length regulations but the size of vehicles has been governed by a clause in Swedish Road Law which laid down minimum distances between axles in relation to the load. This is because some 6,000 bridges in the country were built in the days before the heavy motor vehicle and they cannot take the concentrated weights.

In practice this has made road trains longer than was necessary for the loads. On the Continent a vehicle of 38 tons g.t.w. would be 18 metres in length. However, Swedish trucks operating on roads with an axle/bogie limit of 10/16 tons must measure a minimum of 19.2 metres between the first and last axles. On roads with a 8/12 ton limit the distance must be 22.4 metres.

As there is no limit on g.t.w., it has been possible for Swedish operators to carry really heavy loads by extending the length of the load and building in as many axles as necessary.

In December 1966 the official Swedish Council on Road Safety Research, following investigations, suggested that 22 metres should be the maximum length. Its main reasons were related to the difficulties in manoeuvring longer trains and the risk for passenger cars when overtaking them.

The report was circulated to all interested organizations and replies received by the Transport Ministry urged the limit to be raised to 24 metres because in some cases, i.e., container and timber traffic, the extra 2 metres could represent about one-third increase in payload. The Minister of Communications agreed to the higher limit and it was ratified by the Swedish Parliament last month.


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