(Finance) – Driving while intoxicated: mandatory alcohol lock for newly registered trucks one year after the entry into force of the new law on road safety, remembering that the blood alcohol level allowed for professional drivers to travel is already zero; short license suspension: ok, but only based on the sum of the scores of both documents (driving license and CQC); circulation in urban centres: exclude from the limits Euro VI or higher vehicles (full electric, hybrid, methane, LNG) used for the delivery of goods, considering the small impact of their emissions. These are some of the observations and proposals put forward by the president of Fai-Conftrasporto Paolo Uggèat a hearing yesterday in the Chamber (Transport Committee) on the new road safety rules and the revision of the highway code.
On exceptional transports, the Ffederation of Italian road hauliers (FAI) agrees on the fact of providing for regulations regarding the characteristics of vehicles used for this type of transport. “In addition, we propose that the carrying out of the checks on the infrastructures be the responsibility of the owner/concessionaire of the road system involved in the transit of exceptional transport, and that these are valid for 6 months, covering all exceptional transports which, due to their configuration , have a lower impact on the infrastructure being verified than that which is the object of the verification”.
“Starting from the tragic collapse of the Annone Brianza Bridge in 2016 and, even more so, after that of the Morandi Bridge, the carrying out of exceptional transport and in exceptional conditions is in fact currently conditioned by a series of checks on the stability of the road works which, above all on local roads under the responsibility of Regions, Provinces and Municipalities, is placed entirely at the expense of the hauliers who, each time, also bear the costs”, observes Uggè.
On blind spots, Fai believes that reporting on heavy vehicles should be addressed with one general rule to be included, if necessary, in the highway code, avoiding initiatives by individual Mayors who, moved by public opinion, issue ordinances requiring their assembly. “This rule – explains Uggè – should provide for the obligation of the devices on vehicles registered for the first time starting from one year after the entry into force of the bill, excluding vehicles in circulation on that date. For the latter, the only a conceivable fulfillment is to equip oneself with specific warning stickers along the lines of what already happens in France”.
For bicycles and scooters, Fai-Conftrasporto proposes to establish adequate and unequivocal signs on the prohibition of traveling against traffic, and the confiscation of the vehicle if it travels on the pavement.
Having noted the serious phenomenon of speeding committed by drivers of vans and vehicles used for the transport of goods with a total mass exceeding 1.5 and up to 3.5 tonnes (which among other things are not subject to the tachograph and limiter of speed), Fai finally proposes to punish more rigorously those exceeding the limit by more than 40 km/h, particularly in urban areas, with the withdrawal of the driving license for six months and, in the event of a repeat offense, with the revocation of the driving license .