citizens` summary - Right To Ride EU

Citizens' summary
EU proposal for a Regulation on L-category vehicles (two- or threewheel vehicles and quadricycles)
WHAT ARE THE ISSUES?
•
Current laws for classifying and authorising "L-category vehicles" are too complex and the
legislation requires an update to reflect new technologies. L-category vehicles include:
Category
L1e
•
Vehicle name
Moped
Characteristic vehicles
Category Vehicle name
L5e
Motor
Tricycles
L2e
Three-wheel
Moped
L6e
Light
Quadricycles
L3e
Motorcycle
L7e
Heavy
Quadricycles
L4e
Motorcycle
with side car
Characteristic vehicles
The toxic emission contribution of L-category vehicles is high.
If the EU does not act, experts estimate that L-category vehicles will account for an increasing share
of hydrocarbon (HC) emissions – approximately 62% of all road transport HC emissions by 2020.
This is mainly because L-category vehicle emissions (orange and blue bands in the graph below)
remain high, while emissions from passenger cars, trucks, buses, etc. are dropping significantly.
o
o
o
•
‘All other vehicles’ includes passenger cars, trucks and buses.
Left-hand vertical axis: 2.0E+05 = 200 000, 1.0E+06 = 1 000 000, 1 tn = 1000 kg.
Right-hand vertical axis: share of L-category as % of all road transport HC emissions.
L-category vehicles are responsible for more than their share of fatalities and serious injuries.
In 2006, motorcycles accounted for just 2% of kilometres travelled, but 16% of road deaths. In 2008
5 520 motorcycle riders were killed in road accidents. Fatalities per million kilometres are 18 times
greater than for passenger cars.
Every year in the EU between 30 000 and 72 000 motorcycle riders suffer a serious injury, and
between 66 000 and 155 000 riders are estimated to suffer a minor injury during a road accident.
While fatalities and serious injuries for other categories have dropped significantly, for L-category
vehicles they have not fallen for more than one decade.
Evolutionofoffatalities
fatalities
Evolution
ininEU
EUroad
roadaccidents
accidents
70,000
7,000
69,147
64,908
60,125
Other categories
Other categories
road accident
road accident
fatalitiesfatalities
5,708
50,000
5,197
58,77758,308
54,72055,26854,111
5,069
4,799
4,957
4,637
52,650
4,834
40,000
5,304 5,309 5,315 5,394
49,010
47,801
44,536
41,861
5,593
5,778
6,000
5,406 5,520
5,000
39,45837,545
36,924
4,000
33,111
3,000
30,000
20,000
2,000
10,000
1,000
0
0
Other categories road
accident fatalities
Other categories road accident f atalities
Source:
CARE
(EU
S
our c e : C
A R E ( EU
r oroad
a d a caccidents
c i de n t s dadatabase)
t a b a se )
Motorcycle
fatalities
Motorcycle
fatalities
6,225
60,000
M
otorcycles onlyonly
Motorcycles
WHY DOES ACTION HAVE TO BE TAKEN BY THE EU?
Vehicle approval already falls under EU law, as part of the single market. And logically, emissions and roadsafety problems can only be resolved by all EU countries working together. Clear and simple laws are
needed.
WHAT EXACTLY WILL CHANGE?
•
Current EU rules applicable to L-category vehicles will be updated – and in certain cases replaced
by international standards.
•
New laws will ensure that future vehicles:
o
pollute less – from the time they are built to the end of their useful life
o
meet the highest safety standards possible – this should help reduce the number of
fatalities and injuries from road accidents involving L-category vehicles.
WHO WILL BENEFIT AND HOW?
•
•
•
Citizens
o
cleaner air, especially in cities
o
increased safety levels, significantly less road accident fatalities and injuries.
Manufacturers
o
cheaper to get approval to bring new types of vehicle to the market
o
simpler, clearer rules for industry that promote free movement of goods within the EU.
Governments
o
citizens better protected from air pollution; progress toward goal of 50% fewer fatalities and
serious injuries from road accidents
o
lower administrative costs and up-to-date laws that reflect current and future technology.
WHEN IS THE PROPOSAL LIKELY TO COME INTO EFFECT?
•
By 2014.