Truck drivers in Austria do not appear to take pace limits too critically. Based on a examine by the Graz College of Expertise and the Highway Security Board (KFV), 93 % recurrently exceed the authorized pace restrict of 80 km/h on motorways. On the A1 St. Florian counting station, solely six % saved to the prescribed pace restrict. At a press convention on Thursday, the Chamber of Labor, which commissioned the examine, referred to as for proper pace limits to be noticed – this might profit each the surroundings and drivers.
Criticism of lack of management
“Not least on account of an absence of controls on freight carriers, the state of affairs in street freight transport is usually extra harking back to a Wild West […]”, stated Lukas Oberndorfer, AK Division Head for Atmosphere and Transport. He sees one motive for the widespread violations in alleged social dumping. “We maintain researching and discovering that on this sector there’s nonetheless cost based mostly on the kilometers pushed.” This pushes truck drivers to interrupt the legislation.
Elevated truck checks are significantly essential for Higher Austria, as a very giant variety of vehicles drive on the motorways right here, says the VCÖ. An evaluation based mostly on information from Asfinag exhibits that the A1 Westautobahn close to Traun is Austria’s motorway part with essentially the most truck visitors. Round 5.3 million vehicles travelled right here final 12 months. After the A2, the A8 Innkreisautobahn has the third highest visitors quantity in Austria, with greater than 4.2 million vehicles close to Krenglbach. Greater than 3.8 million vehicles have been counted on the A25 Welserautobahn close to Marchtrenk, and round 1.9 million vehicles on the A7 Mühlkreisautobahn close to the Franzosenhausweg counting station.
Based on KFV worker Klaus Robatsch, a discount within the common pace by 5 % would imply “that we’d have ten % fewer accidents involving private harm, 17 % fewer accidents involving critical accidents and 25 % fewer fatalities.” Driving extra slowly additionally means fewer visitors jams.
Software program manipulated?
The measurements present that the built-in pace limiters are set “to a considerably increased pace” than the official figures. The authorities’ tolerance of penalties signifies that no penalties are imposed if the pace restrict is exceeded by 5 to 10 kilometers per hour. Lukas Oberndorfer, nevertheless, speaks of manipulation of the limiter software program, since 15 % of vehicles even drive at 90 to 100 kilometers per hour on the motorways.
Much less CO2 and noise
Based on the examine, lowering precise truck speeds on motorways to the legally prescribed 80 kilometres per hour might scale back CO2 emissions by 200 tonnes per 12 months or save round 29 million euros in oblique emissions prices. By way of greenhouse gases, transport is “the one sector the place no discount has been achieved since 1990”. As compared, complying with a pace restrict of 80 km/h is a fast measure for much less CO2. But it surely might additionally scale back noise by 15 % through the day and 44 % at night time.
