New trucks up from 3.5 tons (2003/97/EC and 2005/27/EC)
existing trucks
1. Obligatory for all existing trucks in the Netherlands, Belgium (January 1th 2003), Denmark (October 2004)
All other EU countries is applied to vehicles after 1 January 2000 and has to by realised befor 31 March, 2009.
The draft Directive is passed the European Parliament on 10th May - For more information see below
2. Obligatory for all new trucks in the EEC (January 26th of 2007)
DOBLI® policy - Facts
Every year about 400 people are killed in EEC, Blind spot accidents will cost 4 to 5 times more than mounting a extra mirror (see report Jacobs Consulting see http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road/publications/doc/mirrors_final_report.pdf)
Active approach
- Awareness of vulnerable road users (motor-)cyclists and pedestrians
- Information truck drivers (mirror adjustments places)
- Optimal distribution DOBLI blind spot mirror
Blind-spot mirrors to be retrofitted to older lorries
Transport - 10-05-2007 - 12:05
Parliament adopted May 10th, 2007 a report approving with amendments a Commission draft directive calling for blind-spot mirrors to be "retrofitted" to heavy lorries which have been in operation since 2000. The deadline will be 31 March 2009. Each year, 400 Europeans - many of them children on bikes - are killed when lorry drivers changing direction at a crossing or roundabout fail to see them in a blind spot around the vehicle.
Under a 2003 EU directive, new lorries must be equipped with blind-spot mirrors from 2007 onwards. However, at current replacement rates, the EU population of some 5 million lorries (not counting those owned in Romania and Bulgaria) would not be entirely replaced until 2023. Until then, the danger to vulnerable road users, particularly children, would continue.
The European Commission in this latest directive has therefore proposed retrofitting such mirrors to older lorries as well, i.e. those registered since 1 January 2000.
Parliament, in adopting a report drafted by Paolo COSTA (ALDE, IT) endorsed the Commission's plans with amendments.
Parliament voted for the retrofitting exercise to be accompanied by awareness-raising campaigns about the dangers of blind spots on heavy goods vehicles, including information aimed at vulnerable road users. Light goods vehicles and buses are not covered by the directive but MEPs called for this question to be reviewed in future.
Parliament also voted for the Commission to gather data from Member States with a view to devising a future strategy on blind-spot accidents. Lorries that can not by equipped, by technical or economical reasons, with standard mirrors may be equipped with other devices as a blind spot mirror of camera monitor systems. The DOBLI blind spot mirror is approved for directive 2003/97/EC (with the number no. e4*2003/97*2003/97*2309*00 for the class IV and V and with number e4*2003/97*2005/27*2305*00 for class IV, and V.)
MEPs do not anticipate any practical problem in retrofitting lorries registered since 2000. The estimated cost would be € 100 - 150 per vehicle, i.e. the cost of one stop at a petrol station, but this measure could save up to 1,200 lives in Europe by 2020. Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark already have national retrofitting schemes.
