Commercial vehicle wheels classed as safety critical in new EU legislation04 April 2014

Truck and trailer wheel supplier Motor Wheel Service Distribution (MWSD) has welcomed the announcement that commercial vehicle wheels are to be billed as 'safety critical' in the new EU Roadworthiness Package, which will become law in May 2014.

Following adoption by both the European Parliament and European Council, the new law states 'compatibility between parts and components, such as between wheels and wheel hubs, should be treated as a critical safety item and should be checked during roadworthiness testing'.

It also calls for several visual wheel inspection prerequisites and says 'wheel size, technical design, compatibility or type not in accordance with the requirements [laid down by type-approval at first registration or first entry into service] and affecting road safety' will be classed as a major defect.

MWSD has campaigned for this inclusion, arguing that non-circumferential hubs – which give only partial contact between axle and wheel – cause load stresses which, in turn, cause cracks and half the life expectancy of a wheel.

"This is a major development in our campaign and the clearest indication possible from experts at the EU that they understand the safety-critical nature of CV wheels," says John Ellis (pictured), MWSD's managing director.

The new legislation will enter into force once published in May's Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), with the official start date applying 20 days later. EU member states have three years to adopt the rules and a further year to apply all the measures – though they can decide to do so earlier.

"We will be approaching the Department for Transport to ascertain their timescale for implementation of the Roadworthiness Package, working on closer cooperation with original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and the aftermarket, and keeping customers and the market informed on exactly what the changes will mean for their truck, bus and coach fleets," adds Ellis.

"The laws are not designed to place extra financial burden on the CV sector, but create far safer practices for what is a safety-critical item."

Author
Laura Cork

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