Weights and dimensions of heavy vehicles in France Comparison of the French highay code and EU regulation

Transcription

1 Weights and dimensions of heavy vehicles in France Comparison of the French highay code and EU regulation Matthieu Bereni Ministry for Ecology and Sustainable Development and Spatial Planning Sétra - Technical Department for Transport, Roads and Bridges Engineering European Commission TAIEX workshop Ankara July 2 nd & 3 rd

2 Outline 1 Weights and dimensions in the French highway code - 2 -

3 Origins : Regulation of road traffic came before cars (Napoleon in 1804 : driving on the right, while driving on the left was common since the Romans) 1893 : driving licences mandatory to drive motorised vehicles early XX th century : first road signs in France 1921 : first highway code in France. Today : Deep change of the Highway code in 2000 (upadating the code and adapting it to the fight against drink driving and overspeeding) Frequent updates, resulting from decisions taken on the national and/or european scales. Highway code online. Part I : legislation. Part II : regulation -

4 1 Weights & dimensions in the French highway code (1/4) 1.a. Organisation of the highway code Part II Regulation Book III : Vehicle Title I : Technical provisions Chapter I : General provisions and definitions (Articles R311-1 to R311-3) Chapter II : Weights and dimensions Section 1 : Weights (Articles R312-1 to R312-9) Section 2 : Vehicles Dimensions (Articles R to R312-18) Section 3 : Loading conditions and loads dimensions (Articles R to R312-25) - 4 -

5 1 Weights & dimensions in the French highway code (2/4) 1.b. Useful definitions Tractor : powered unit containing a fifth wheel for the purpose of hauling a semitrailer. Trailer : non-powered vehicle with a drawbar designed to be coupled to a rigid truck, semitrailer or another trailer. Unlike a semitrailer, a trailer is balanced on its own, and does not require a tractor or dolly for vertical support. Semi-trailer : transport freight from one location to another vehicle unit by means of a fifth wheels. Articulated vehicle : combination of vehicle units, including a motorised unit and a semi-trailer. Train double : combination of vehicles composed of an articulated vehicle and a semi-trailer attached to it by means of a dolly or not. Road train : combination of vehicle units consisting of a motorised vehicle towing a trailer or a semitrailer leaning on a dolly. Gross Vehicle Weight or Gross Vehicle Mass : maximum allowable mass of a combination of vehicles as specified by the vehicle manufacturer and indicated on the manufacturer s plate on the motorised unit. + Truck = motorised heavy vehicle for the transport of freight with a mass greater than 3.5t

6 1 Weights & dimensions in the French highway code (3/4) Weights and Dimensions of Heavy Vehicles in France 1.c. A large variety of trucks driving in France - 6 -

7 1 Weights & dimensions in the French highway code (4/4) 1.d. Fines depending upon the magnitude of the offense The French highwaycode stipulates the following : When the weight or the dimensions of a vehicle exceeds the one(s) mentionned in the highway code, the applicable fine is of the 4 th class type (135 ) When the weight or the dimensions of a vehicle exceeds the one(s) mentionned in the highway code by more than 20%, the applicable fine is of the 5 th class type (1500 ) When the weight of a vehicle exceeds the one(s) mentionned in the highway code by more than 5%, the vehicle may be required to standstill (immobilization)

8 (1/4) 2.a. Width in national and international traffic Width Conditioned vehicles Other vehicles FR 2.60 m 2.55 m FR highway code R R EU 2.60 m 2.55 m Dir 96/53/EC Art 3, annex I Art 3, annex I

9 (2/4) 2.b. Height in international traffic Height All Vehicles FR NA FR highway code NA EU 4.0 m (no limit for national trafic) Dir 96/53/EC Art 3, annex I

10 (3/4) 2.c. Length in national and international traffic Length Motor vehicles Trailers (without the drawbar) Semi-trailers - maximum distance between the fifth-wheel king pin and the rear of a semi-trailer Semi-trailers - maximum distance between the fifth-wheel king pin and the front of a semi-trailer Articulate d vehicles Road train or train double Maximum distance from the foremost external point of the loading area behind the cabin to the rear-most external point of the trailer of the combination, minus the distance between the rear of the drawing vehicle and the front of the trailer Maximum distance from the foremost external point of the loading area behind the cabin to the rear-most external point of the trailer of the combination FR 12 m 12 m 12 m 2.04 m 16.5 m m m m FR highway code R R R R R R R R EU (measured according to dir. 70/156/EC, annex I) 12 m 12 m 12 m 2.04 m 16.5 m m m m Dir 96/53/EC Art 3, annex I Art 3, annex I Art 3, annex I Art 3, annex I Art 3, annex I Art 3, annex I Art 3, annex I Art 3, annex I

11 (4/4) 2.d. Additional requisites Road trains FR Distance between the rear axle of a motor vehicle and the front axle of a trailer NA FR highway code NA EU 3 m Dir 96/53/EC Annex I Weight & wheelbase for a 4- axle motor vehicle FR [ GVW in tonnes] / [wheelbase in metres] NA FR highway code NA EU 5 Dir 96/53/EC Annex I

12 (1/10) 3.a. Weight of motor vehicles Motor vehicles 2-axle-motor-vehicle 3-axle-motor-vehicle 4 (and + in FR) axle-motor-vehicle France 19 T 26 T 32 T FR highway code R312-4 R312-4 R312-4 EU 18 T 25 T +1T * 32 T if two steering axles Dir 96/53/EC Annex I, Annex I, Annex I, * where the driving axle is fitted with twin tyres and air suspension or suspension recognized as being equivalent within the Community as defined in Annex II, or where each driving axle is fitted with twin tyres and the maximum weight of each axle does n

13 (2/10) 3.b. Weight of combination of vehicles Combination of vehicles Train double up to 4 axles Train double 5 axles and + Train double 5 axles and + (intermodal operations) France 38 T 40 T 44 T FR highway code R312-4 R312-4 R312-4 EU 36 T + 2 T* 40 T 44 T ** Dir 96/53/EC Annex I, & Annex I, * the distance between the axles of the semitrailer is 1.3 m or greater and no more than 1.8 m and the driving axle is fitted with twin tyres and air suspension ** 3-axle-motor vehicle with 2 or 3 axle semitrailer carrying a 40-foot ISO container as a combined transport operation

14 (3/10) 3.c. Additional requisites (1/2) Combination of vehicles K = [Weight_trailers + semitrailers] / [Weight_tractor] if the total GVW 32 T K = [Weight_trailers + semi-trailers] / [Weight_tractor] if the total GVW > 32 T Y = [weight borne by the driving axle] / [total laden weight] France K 1.3 K * [total_gvw - 32] / 32 < 1.5 NA FR highway code R312-3 R312-3 NA EU NA NA 0.25 Y Dir 96/53/EC NA NA Annex I,

15 (4/10) 3.d. Single axles Single axles Maximum Weight Dir 96/53/EC FR highway code - R312-5 Non driving axle Driving axle 10 T 11,5 T 13 T

16 (5/10) 3.e. Tandem axles of trailers and semi-trailers Tandem axles of trailers and semi-trailers Distance d between axles (m) Directive : annex I, 3.2. FR highway code - R312-6 Threshold directive 1 1,3 1,8 Threshold FR Highway 0,9 1,35 1,8 codecode de la route Intermediary values 0,95 1 1,05 1,1 1,15 1,2 1,25 1,3 Sum of axle weights (T) Heaviest axle (T) 7,35 [7,35 + 0,35 x (d-0,90) : 0,05] T 10,5 which mak es : 7,35 7,35 7,7 8,05 8,4 8,75 9,1 9,45 9,8 10,15 10,5 Total weight for the tandem (T) 14,7 14,7 15,4 16,1 16,8 17,5 18,2 18,9 19,6 20,

17 (6/10) 3.e. Tandem axles of trailers and semi-trailers Total weight on a tandem axle of a trailer or semi-trailer 22 Sum of the axle weights (T) FR EU 10 0,8 0,9 1 1,1 1,2 1,3 1,4 1,5 1,6 1,7 1,8 1,9 Distance between the 2 axles (m)

18 (7/10) 3.f. Tandem axles of motor vehicles Tandem axles of motor vehicles Distance d between axles (m) Directive : annex I, 3.5. FR highway code - R312-6 Threshold directive 1 1,3 1,8 Threshold FR Highway 0,9 1 1,35 1,8 codecode de la route Intermediary values 0,95 1 1,05 1,1 1,15 1,2 1,25 1,3 Sum of axle weights (T) Max weight of the driving axle (T) Max weight of the tandem (T) Total weight for the tandem (T) 11, * 13,15 W** max (W**, 16T) 19 13,15 13,15 13, ,4 17,05 17,7 18,35 19 * 19 T where the driving axle if fitted with twin tyres and air suspension or suspension recognized as equivalent, or where each drving axle is fitted with twin tyres and where the maximum weight for each axle does not exceed 9,5 tonnes W = [ * (d-0.90) / 0.05] 11,5-18 -

19 (8/10) 3.f. Tandem axles of motor vehicles Total weight on a tandem axle of motor vehicles Sum of the axle weights (T) FR EU ,8 0,9 1 1,1 1,2 1,3 1,4 1,5 1,6 1,7 1,8 Distance between the 2 axles (m)

20 (9/10) 3.g. Tridem axles of trailers and semi-trailers Tridem axles of trailers and semi-trailers Threshold directive 1,3 1,4 Distance d Threshold FR Highway between axles (m) codecode de la route 0,9 1,35 Intermediary values 0,95 1 1,05 1,1 1,15 1,2 1,25 Directive : annex I, 3.3. Sum of axle weights (T) FR highway code - R312-6 Heaviest axle (T) 7,35 [7,35 + 0,35 x (d-0,90) : 0,05] T 10,5 which mak es : 7,35 7,35 7,7 8,05 8,4 8,75 9,1 9,45 9,8 10,15 10,5 Total weight for the tridem (T) 22,05 22,05 23,1 24,15 25,2 26,25 27,3 28,35 29,4 30,45 31,5 1,8-20 -

21 (10/10) 3.g. Tridem axles of trailers and semi-trailers Total weight on a tridem axle of a trailer or semi-trailer Sum of the axle weights (T) FR EU ,8 0,85 0,9 0,95 1 1,05 1,1 1,15 1,2 1,25 1,3 1,35 1,4 Distance between 2 axles (m)

22 Match regarding : Width in national and international traffic Length for national and international traffic but exceptions (Dir 96/53/CE, art4 4) Height, mandatory for international traffic only Weight of motor vehicle and combinations of vehicle. Differences regarding : Weight on single axles (up to 3 T) Weight on tandem axles of trailers and semi trailers (up to 4 T) Weight on tandem axles of motor vehicles (up to almost 2 T) Weight on tridem axles of trailers and semi trailers (up to almost 9 T) Difference due to regulation approaches : Continuous increase of the permissible weight w.r.t. the distance between axles Optimal use of the vehicle and the infrastructure But very sensitive to the load distribution Increase of the permissible weight in steps Easier to implement for shippers and to control But non optimal use of the veh & infrastructure Overall, great flexibility allowed by the directive 1 Context and methodology 2 Likely consequences of adapting directive 96/53/EC 3 New technologies for a sustainable freight transport

23 Thank you for your attention! Matthieu BERENI - Sétra matthieu.bereni@developpement-durable.gouv.fr