The following letter was written by the Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder and was published today on her website.

I am writing to express my concern about the current negotiations on the revision of Directive 96/53/EC and in particular the possibility that measures to allow for safer and more fuel-efficient lorry designs may be unnecessarily delayed.

As you know, current EU restrictions on the weights and dimensions of HGV cabs have inadvertently resulted in designs that increase the risk of fatal accidents with pedestrians and cyclists. The current requirements have resulted in dangerous blind spots and blunt-shaped cab fronts that cause greater damage in the case of a collision. The consequences of these unsafe designs are tragic. Lorries are responsible for over half of all cyclist deaths in London and a third of cyclist deaths across the UK as a whole.

Under changes that are being pushed for by the European Parliament, lorry manufacturers would be permitted to increase the dimensions of their vehicles in order to incorporate safety features. These could include longer, rounded cab fronts, crumple zones and lower driver positions to improve visibility. Crucially, the changes could be made on a voluntary basis by manufacturers by next year and the revised rules would only become compulsory seven years after the entry into force of the Directive.

However, national governments in the Council have been arguing for a ten-year moratorium on the new weights and dimensions requirements, led by France and Sweden who have come under pressure from truck manufacturers Renault and Volvo. Such a move would needlessly delay lifesaving designs until at least 2025 and lead to more unnecessary deaths on our roads.

I understand that talks on this issue between MEPs and representatives of the Council and European Commission broke down on Monday 3rd December, and that a final round of negotiations has been scheduled for the 10th December. During this time the Italian Presidency of the Council will be looking to member states to inform its final negotiating mandate. I would therefore urge you use your position as a member of the Council of Transport Ministers to argue against delaying the revised rules and ensure that safer lorries can be manufactured.

Yours sincerely,

Catherine Bearder MEP