Road safety: retrofitting of mirrors to existing fleet of heavy goods vehicles

The European Parliament adopted a resolution drafted by Paolo COSTA (EPP-ED, I) and made some amendments to the Commission’s proposal. Parliament's amendments were the result of a compromise agreement between the EPP-ED, PES, ALDE and Greens/EFA groups. The principal amendments were as follows:

-the Directive will apply to vehicles of categories N2 and N3 as referred to in point 2 of Annex II to Directive 70/156/EC which are not type-approved or approved as a single vehicle under Directive 2003/97/EC ;

-Parliament made some amendments to the exemptions from the directive. In this respect, the text is now aligned with the existing legislation covering new HGVs (Directive 2003/97/EC). The exemption concerns only vehicles of category N2 not exceeding 7.5 t and not vehicles N2 exceeding 7.5 tons and N3. No part mirror should be less than 2 m (+10 cm) from the ground, and the mirror must be fully visible from the driving position;

-not later than 31 March 2009, all vehicles to which the Directive applies must 2 be equipped, on the passenger side, with wide angle and close proximity mirrors which fulfil the requirements for class IV and class V mirrors under Directive 2003/97/EC respectively;

-by way of derogation from this, compliance with the Directive will be deemed to be achieved where vehicles are equipped, on the passenger side, with wide angle and close proximity mirrors, whose combination of fields of vision covers not less than 95% of the field of vision at ground level of the class IV and not less than 85% of the field of vision at ground level of a class V mirror under Directive 2003/97/EC;

-vehicles within the scope of the legislation which, for want of available, economically viable, technical solutions, cannot be equipped with mirrors complying with the requirements above, may be equipped with supplementary mirrors and/or other devices of indirect vision, provided that the combination of such devices covers not less than 95% of the field of vision at ground level of the class IV mirror and not less than 85% of the field of vision at ground level of a class V mirror under Directive 2003/97/EC;

-Member States shall communicate a list of technical solutions complying with this requirement to the Commission. The Commission shall make the information notified publicly available, via its website or any other appropriate means, to all Member States;

-compliance with the requirements set out above will  be established by the proof furnished by a Member State in accordance with Article 3 of Directive 96/96/EC ;

-the Commission, assisted by the committees referred to in Article 8 of Directive 96/96/EC and Article 13(1) of Directive 70/156/EEC, each within their respective remits, shall take the appropriate measures to ensure that the relevant equipment is installed and tested in order to establish its compliance and roadworthiness in accordance with the requirements of the Directive ;

-four years after entry into force of the Directive, the Commission must submit a report on the implementation of the Directive together with a study on "blind spot" accidents covering all vehicles and costs incurred, with the aim of improving road safety. On the basis of a more comprehensive cost-benefit analysis, the Commission's report shall be accompanied, if appropriate, by a proposal for the revision of existing legislation;

-the date set for transposition of the directive is one year after its entry into force.