Want to tighten rules for A-tractors: All legislative proposals

Stops for overcrowded vehicles, seat belt requirements and a tough hunt for tampered engines.

After the number of accidents involving A-tractors skyrocketed in recent years, comprehensive measures must be taken to reverse the trend.

This is evident from the legislative proposals and tightening of rules that the Swedish Transport Agency is now proposing.

Here are the changes that are expected to become a reality.

In recent years, interest in A-tractors has skyrocketed.

In 2022, the number of registered vehicles rolled over 50,000, which is an increase of one hundred percent from 2019.

At the same time, accidents involving A-tractors have increased dramatically. From 146 reported in 2019 to 368 in 2021.

– It’s a big increase when a vehicle type doubles in two and a half years, it stands out, says Josefin Hallenberg, investigator at the Swedish Transport Agency.

With that background, the Swedish Transport Agency on Tuesday presented the conclusions they arrived at after investigating the issue on behalf of the government at the time.

Proposes extensive tightening

The message is that extensive tightening is required to deal with shortcomings in the current legislation, but also the manipulation of speed limits that takes place to a large extent.

The proposals are welcomed by the National Association for the Promotion of Traffic Safety (NTF), which believes that the proposals will lead to positive effects.

– This contains several important changes that will hopefully lead to a reduction in the number of accidents and mitigate the consequences in cases where accidents do occur, says Rickard Cosini, communications manager at NTF.

According to the Swedish Transport Agency’s Josefin Hallenberg, to some extent there has remained an old view of what an A-tractor is which is not in line with development and today’s popularity.

This is clearly seen in the question of seat belt use. Since before, there has been a technical requirement that a belt must be present if it was in the original vehicle. But there has been no requirement for actual seat belt use, either for drivers or passengers.

The new proposal calls for a seat belt requirement to be introduced for all road travel.

– During the investigation, we have seen that there is a relatively large proportion who drive and travel in A-tractors who do not use seat belts. Then it feels extremely important to introduce such a legal requirement, says Josefin Hallenberg.

Stop for overcrowded vehicles

Another issue where the investigation now wants to put its foot down concerns the number of people who are allowed to travel in a vehicle. According to the Swedish Transport Agency, the police have stated in the investigation that it is common for them to see vehicles with more people than seats.

– Our view is that it is a widespread problem. When we asked the question to those who drive an A-tractor during the investigation, a third stated that they often or always have many passengers with them, says Josefin Hallenberg.

Therefore, it is now proposed that a requirement be introduced that those traveling in an A-tractor must sit in a designated passenger seat and that the rule of one person per seat should apply.

Another issue where it becomes clear that there has been a gap between legislation and reality concerns speeding and the manipulation done by A-tractors to be able to drive at higher speeds than permitted.

Want to close the door for previous rule misses

Previously, a police officer who stopped an A-tractor driving faster than 30 kilometers per hour on a 50-lane stretch could not report the driver for speeding if it stayed below the road’s speed limit. This despite the fact that an A-tractor is only allowed to drive thirty kilometers per hour.

– There has been a lack of a traffic rule for A-tractors regarding the maximum permitted speed on the road, which already exists for class-1 mopeds. There, it was previously seen that mopeds were manipulated, but it was difficult to prove this. If you introduce such a rule also for A-tractors, you can be fined in the same way as you can for other vehicles, says Josefin Hallenberg.

By clarifying in the regulations what the maximum permitted road speed is for the type of vehicle, the Swedish Transport Agency hopes to add a tool that can get more people not to manipulate their vehicles to reach higher speeds than what is permitted. But they advance the fight against manipulated vehicles elsewhere as well.

Among other things, the Swedish Transport Agency wants more extensive sealing to be introduced on components that can change the speed-limiting measure.

They also propose changes related to the training that a person undergoes to obtain the AM license required to drive an A tractor.

– Development has been fast and we want to make it possible for the practical training to be carried out on four-wheeled vehicles. You need to get training on the type of vehicle you will then be driving.

Question marks remain

However, Josefin Hallenberg cannot answer whether it may become a requirement that the person applying for an AM license must state whether they will drive an A tractor in order to receive specific training linked to the type of vehicle.

– We will continue to work there. It is not finalized at the nuts and bolts level exactly how such a proposal might develop.

That training is clearly aimed at four-wheeled vehicles is something that NTF highlights as much needed. They increasingly want it to be similar to the one that applies to B driving licences.

– We welcome that the training is reviewed and the focus on risks is increased. We don’t yet know anything about how this will happen, but we would like to see some form of risk education introduced with practical elements similar to the one you have today to get a B driver’s license.

Clear answer regarding trial period

One issue on which Josefine Hallenberg and the Swedish Transport Agency can give a clear statement, however, concerns the lack of a probationary period that now applies to those with AM authorization.

– There we see that it would be good to have a trial period that is the same as for someone who is going to get a driver’s license for a car. Today there is a blocking period during which you can then get your AM authorization back. If you have been guilty of a serious misdemeanor or several minor ones, we think it is reasonable that you should have to repeat the test and training.

Josefin Hallenberg says that the Swedish Transport Agency assesses that the proposed changes that are now being put forward will have an effect.

– All in all, these proposals will contribute to improved road safety for those who travel in A-tractors, but also for other road users.

Facts

The Swedish Transport Agency’s proposal

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