EU trailer accident in Sweden

Following the recent lethal accident with an EU trailer in Sweden, the Swedish Minister of Infrastructure will address the problem in the EU Council.

Recently there has been many (some lethal) accidents with the so-called EU trailers (max 18 m long vehicles instead of more common max 25m used in Sweden) in winter. EU length restrictions on trucks mean that tractor units are made as short as possible to maximize the capacity to transport goods. The short tractor makes it harder to prevent the vehicle from folding and deteriorates longitudinal stability in general. Serious accidents are more common with EU trailers than with longer vehicles.

There is a proposal on new legislation in Sweden with bearing on the problem with EU trailers. According to the proposal, all wheels of a truck (incl. trailers) or a bus 3,5 tonnes or more must be equipped with winter tires if they travel in Sweden during winter conditions (1 Dec-31 Mar). The legislation is proposed to enter into force on 1 June 2018.