Empirical evidence points to tangible risks of LHVs in EU-wide circulation 08/03/12

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UIRR attended the 2nd IRU/EU Road Transport Conference – co-sponsored by road hauliers, the European Commission and the Danish EU Presidency – on 29 February 2012.  Several distinguished speakers voiced their opinions at this event that “only emotional arguments” were given by those wishing to promote a more careful consideration of the introducing of LHVs into Europe-wide circulation.

Wishing to correct this deficit, UIRR compiled an analysis based upon a recent study by the consortium of Kessel & Partner and the Fraunhofer Institute and other empirical sources.  The study found that a substantial reverse modal-shift effect – from rail to road – will emerge upon allowing the Europe-wide circulation of 44t/25,25m-long LHVs, which was calculated to amount to 10 billion tkm-s annually along the five European freight corridors (4700 km-s) examined.

Such reverse modal-shift when extrapolated onto a European-scale would result in the following safety, environmental and economic consequences:

  • Safety: nearly 1500 additional road accidents involving LHVs may be expected yearly resulting in, among others, the loss of 43 additional lives and additional road externalities of €1 billion (accidents and related congestion).
  • GHG emissions: additional 6 million tons of CO2 emissions – over and above existing levels – annually may also be expected (with a value of €180-540 million per year).
  • Jobs and growth: the European rail sector of operators and manufacturers, global technology leaders employing millions of European citizens and turning out products and services in the magnitude of many billions of Euros annually, with the emphasis shifting away from developing the sustainable freight forwarding system of Europe, will most certainly suffer a major setback.

Ever since its founding 42-years ago, UIRR has been actively promoting  road-rail Combined Transport as the most  efficient  system to  insert  sustainable  and safe electric rail traction into the transport-chains designed to forward single loads over longer distances (of 300km or more).  Achievements of our unique system of transport are best characterised by the fact that prior to the economic crisis in Europe Combined Transport’s tonne-kilometre performance has grown 6-7% annually, and by today it is the dominant form of single load forwarding on rail.

Based on shipping cargo loaded into intermodal loading units (ILU4), or forwarding complete trucks using the rolling-motorway technology over sensitive geographic regions like the Alps, Combined Transport has contributed to the saving of many hundred lives and several billions of Euros worth of road externalities by preventing the occurrence of accidents, as well as the burning of many million tons of fossil-fuel over the decades until today.

“UIRR remains convinced that enabling the cross-border circulation of LHVs in the EU is not the “low hanging fruit” some road operators and their representatives portray it to be. Quite on the contrary, it is a distraction – costly in both safety and ecological terms – from developing the genuinely beneficial long-distance freight transport solution, which is capable of delivering Europe’s GHG and oil-dependence reduction, as well as transport-safety enhancement aims.” – said UIRR Chairman, Rudy Colle.



“UIRR remains convinced that enabling the cross-border circulation of LHVs in the EU is not the “low hanging fruit” some road operators and their representatives portray it to be. Quite on the contrary, it is a distraction – costly in both safety and ecological terms

from developing the genuinely beneficial long-distance freight transport solution, which is capable of delivering Europe’s GHG and oil-dependence reduction, as well as transport-safety enhancement aims.” – said UIRR Chairman, Rudy Colle.

Related documents
Analysis of the UIRR EN
Full Study on LHV EN
Presentation of Professor Alan McKinnon (IRU/EU Conference) EN
UIRR's Press release EN
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