European Parliament says yes to HGV design laws

By Categories: NewsPublished On: Tuesday 15 April 2014

manconceptsNew laws designed to make HGVs safer for cyclists and other road users, as well as to improve fuel efficiency, have been passed by the European Parliament today.

If approved by the 28 EU member states’ domestic governments, the law surrounding HGV design will change to herald a new generation of vehicles, with larger windows and more rounded cabs. Such cabs are likely to become mandatory across the union from 2022.

570 MEPs voted for the changes, against an opposition of 88. Among those supporting the measures are the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and various cyclists’ associations.

The draft legislative text states that a new cab profile would: “contribute to improving road safety by reducing the blind spot in the driver’s vision, including under the windscreen and to the side of the vehicle, which should help save the lives of many vulnerable road users such as pedestrians or cyclists.

“The new cab profile should therefore, after an appropriate transitional period, become mandatory. This new profile should also incorporate energy absorption structures in the event of a collision. The potential gain in the volume of the cab would also improve the driver’s comfort and safety.”

In addition to safety advantages, the new truck profiles are likely to be more aerodynamic, thus saving on fuel and helping fleets to reduce carbon emissions. Such designs are already being explored by manufacturers, such as with the MAN ‘Concept S’ (pictured).

Currently, lorry cabs tend to be ‘brick’-shaped in order to maximise payload capacity, because laws stipulating the maximum vehicle length include the length of the cab .This has had the effect of disincentivising manufacturers from incorporating a range of energy-efficient features into their vehicles.

The law as approved today will allow derogations from the current maximum length of vehicles to allow truck makers to incorporate such features, but not in order to increase load capacity. Rounded cabs are also said to be more deflective, increasing the chance that cyclists and pedestrians would be propelled away from the lorry in the event of a collision, rather than being dragged under its wheels.