Articulated vehicles of 25 meter and 60 ton in The Netherlands: the start of a pilot project

At this moment the total allowable length of an articulated vehicle in The Netherlands is 18.35 meter and its total weight is 50 ton. Several Dutch transportation organisations requested a pilot project with longer and heavier vehicles for heavy goods transpotation. Because of the environmental benefits to society, the Ministry of Transport was prepared to consider such a pilot project. The Ministry decided that, before a decision could be made several questions had to be answered, such as about legal aspects in relation to European laws, and about infrastructure, environment, economics and road safety. It was also decided to make an inventory of such questions together with the branch organisations. Information to answer these questions was gathered, also in close collaboration with the branch organisations, by studying literature, interviewing key persons in countries where longer and heavier vehicles are operating at the moment, and by using existing mathematical models. The TNO Road-Vehicles Research Institute has investigated the safety aspects. The vehicle stability is one of these aspects and many publications have been made on this item. Other items concerning safety are: overview on the right side of the vehicle combination in a right turn; crosswind disturbance; overtake manoeuvres by other road users on single carriage ways; traffic flow; crash behaviour. The main questions concerning the economical, infrastructure, environmental and legal aspects will be described in broad outline, whereas the safety aspects will be described in more detail. This is followed by the methods by which the answers were collected and by a description of the results. On the bases of this information an advice to the Minister was formulated to conduct a pilot project under restricted conditions. Finally, the suggested pilot project restrictions will be described.