Adapt vehicles to the latest safety standards

The adjustments to the Ordinance on Technical Requirements for Road Vehicles (VTS) planned by the federal government cover the following areas:

Motor vehicle safety equipment

• The technical regulations for motorcycles, light, small and three-wheeled motor vehicles are to be adapted to the current EU regulations. In particular, this involves the obligation to equip motorcycles with improved braking systems (e.g. anti-lock braking systems for motorcycles with an engine capacity of over 125 cm3). This serves to reduce the number of serious motorcycle accidents.
• Blue-light emergency vehicles are to be allowed to have more warning devices in the future (e.g. blue lights in the exterior mirrors). This will enable them to be seen better and recognized earlier during urgent emergency journeys.
• Acoustic reversing warning devices are to be permitted for heavy motor vehicles. This will make it easier, for example, to warn people behind a truck that they are reversing.
• Tractors and motor carts with rollover protection devices, as well as tractors and work motor carts with maximum speed over 40 km/h should have seat belts in the future.

Improving environmental protection

In the case of motorcycles, the more advanced emissions regulations are to be introduced at the same time as the EU. These include a new, stricter emissions stage from 2017 and a further one from 2020, which will again make the Swiss vehicle fleet less polluting.

Simplifications to ease the burden on vehicle owners

• The first interval of periodic inspection of trucks, semitrailers and their trailers, which are used only in domestic transport, is to be extended to three years thanks to technical development. Today, the first interval lasts one year. With the change, vehicle owners will be relieved. For vehicles used in international traffic, the current inspection intervals will remain in place.
• Work trucks (e.g. excavators, paving machines) are to be allowed to have 14 t axle load on one drive axle. Until now, such a regulation existed only for agricultural harvesters with wide tires. Now, the privilege is no longer linked to wide tires; road-friendly tires with a large contact surface are sufficient to distribute the weight. The maximum speed of work trucks is limited to 30 km/h.

Simplifications for people with walking difficulties

• In the future, motorized wheelchairs are to be permitted with a closed passenger compartment. For wheelchairs with a maximum speed of up to 10 km/h, a passenger seat is also to be permitted. This takes account of a need. However, these vehicles may still only be one meter wide so that pedestrians are not endangered on the sidewalk.

The consultation documents containing all the proposed amendments and explanations are here The hearing on the amendments to the ordinances will continue until March 1, 2016.

Source: Astra