Eurolink News

Lax hauliers face tighter checks under new EU rules (June 16th, 2009)

June 16, 2009 at 12:16 pm Leave a comment

Coach operators and haulage firms that have infringed road safety rules in the past will be subject to extra monitoring from gardai and the Road Safety Authority, under a new EU directive outlined this week.
The rules will see fleet operators and commercial vehicle drivers classed into a risk rating system of red, amber and green, according to their history of road safety compliance. Those in the high risk red category will face more frequent and more extensive safety checks for a range of offences such as exceeding limits on driver hours, poor vehicle maintenance and speeding.
Northwest MEP Jim Higgins says the move is aimed at making employers responsible for the safety of their employees who drive for a living. ‘The buck ultimately has to stop with employers on the issue of road safety, and the sooner this directive is transposed into national law the better,’ said the Fine Gael MEP.
‘Blame should not rest with the drivers who are given sub-standard vehicles,’ he added, citing examples of incidents involving faulty school buses and Bus Eireann vehicles.
It’s estimated that a third of all collisions on Irish roads involve drivers using their vehicle for work. A spokesperson for the Road Safety Authority urged fleet operators to fix dates for scheduled maintenance of all vehicles, and make sure that every driver carries out a daily check of their car, bus or truck.

Entry filed under: Safety and the EU, Transport and the EU. Tags: .