IP/05/1588

Brussels, 14 December 2005

Speed limitation devices and road safety: European Commission refers Ireland to Court of Justice

The Commission has referred Ireland to the Court of Justice for continued failure to notify measures transposing into national law EU legislation on the installation and use of speed limitation devices for certain categories of motor vehicles. Improving road safety is an ongoing priority of European transport policy.

The Directive in question^[1] supplements the existing legislation by further harmonising the requirements relating to the installation and use of speed limitation devices.

• It requires that vehicles intended to transport passengers registered as from 1 January 2005 and having more than eight seats, including the driver’s seat, must be equipped with a speed limitation device set in such a way that their speed cannot exceed 100 km/hour.
• Vehicles used for the transport of goods and with a maximum weight in excess of 3.5 tonnes registered as from the same date must be fitted with a speed limitation device set in such a way that their speed cannot exceed 90 km/hour.
• Member States may also require that the speed limitation device in vehicles registered in their territory and used for the transport of dangerous goods be set in such a way as to impose on those vehicles a maximum speed of less than 90 km/hour.

Ireland has failed to communicate measures transposing this Directive into national law. The deadline for transposing the Directive was 1 January 2005.

^[1] Directive 2002/85/EC amending Directive 92/6/EEC.