Since 05/20/2019 the the so-called risk-rating system is to be applied by all member states. What is the purpose and what does it mean for you?
Increase of road safety in the EU area
Already in 2014, the European Parliament as well as the Council have passed the directive 2014/47. It lays down provisions for technical roadside inspections of roadworthiness of commercial vehicles. Together with directives 45 (periodic roadworthiness tests) and 46 (registration documents for vehicles) the EU aims to increase the level of road safety within the EU area. The short-term goal is the halving of the overall number of road fatalities in the Union till 2010. By 2050 the Union should move close to zero fatalities in road transport.
Focus on securing of cargo
The subsequent passage is part of the directive on technical roadside inspections:
(16) Securing of cargo is crucial for road safety. Cargo should therefore be secured in such a way as to cope with accelerations occurring during the use of the vehicle on road. For the sake of practicality, the mass-forces resulting from such accelerations should be used as limit values based on European standards. Personnel involved in checking whether cargo is adequately secured should be appropriately trained.
Thus, next to the safe and environmentally acceptable condition of commercial vehicles, special attention is given to the securing of cargo.
Europe-wide list of deficiencies
The implementation of the directive takes place gradually. The last step was the introduction of the risk-rating system on May 20th, 2019. This is a directory, that covers among others subsequent parameters:
- number of deficiencies
- severities of deficiencies
- number of technical roadside inspections
The deficiencies shall be weighted according to their severity, using the following severity factors: dangerous deficiency = 40, major deficiency = 10 and minor deficiency = 1. The evolution of a vehicle’s situation shall be reflected by applying a lower weighting to older inspecitons results that to more recent ones.
An annual risk rating for every company is then calculated by using a formula.
Member states should lay down rules on penalties applicable to infringements of the provisions and should ensure that they are implemented. The penalties “should be effective, proportionate, dissuasive and non-discriminatory”.
What does it mean for you?
Ideally, the introduction of the risk-rating system shouldn’t have change anything for you. It shouldn’t be news to any company, that vehicles need to be in a certain condition and that the securing of cargo should comply with the legal requirements of the respective country.
Only those who have placed little or no emphasis on these topics in the past, need to reckon with problems in the future.