The Road Transport Forum (RTF) has received a copy of the preliminary discussion paper on amending the Heavy Vehicle Brakes Rule.
While the RTF believes that the aims of the paper are commendable, they do not go far enough to tackle current problems with technology and real world practices.
The forum’s senior technical analyst, Mark Ngatuere, says that while it’s fair to say that the paper is an initial outline it is too far-forward looking.
“The changes they’re suggesting to the NZ rule will significantly improve the braking performance on vehicles joining the heavy fleet in the future, but they won’t make a significant number of trucks, currently on the road, any safer,” he says.
Due to the small market size and the long-term turnover of the fleet, it could be some time before any appreciable impact is felt on the roads, much in the way that New Zealanders holding on to their cars longer, delays the spread of new safety technology.
The NZ Transport Agency says that to fix the current rule’s inflexibility in accommodating new technologies, the rule will have to be ‘future proofed’ to add performance outcome requirements as an alternative.
The NZTA proposes adopting electronic stability control (ESC) as comprehensively as possible throughout the New Zealand fleet, mostly to tackle the high rollover rate produced by New Zealand’s challenging road network.
While the NZTA acknowledges that full application of ESC will be limited to certain classes of vehicles, it says that New Zealand’s highest risk vehicles, such as large trailers, are largely specified by operators and locally produced.
ABS would also be mandated on certain vehicles and vehicles fitted with modern braking systems would be required to provide evidence of full system functionality to demonstrate compliance with the rule to the agency, if requested.
The NZTA’s initial proposals are built around ECE 13, but Ngatuere says that this is not the only standard referenced in the current rule – and vehicles built overseas don’t need ESC or ABS compliance, so that ECE 13 compliant vehicles make up a small proportion of the new vehicle fleet.
“It would be sensible to continue to recognise the relevant international braking standards referenced in the current rule and mandate just the most common minimum braking standards.
“There’s no reason why voluntary use of more advanced technology should not be allowed if vehicle purchasers wish to adopt it.”
Ngatuere again says that the discussion document represents the NZTA’s first thoughts and so an indication of what it is considering, but that, “the risk is that future-proofing could in fact be a step too far, both for improving overall safety and in costs for operators.”
