In the past five years, the British have been testing some 1800 trailers which are significantly longer than usual semi trailers. Brtain is happy with the results, hence why these trailers will be allowed in the roads for five more years. Also, a thousand permits will be issued for companies who intend to use these trailers as well.
The British started with this test as their alternative to continental longer and heavier combinations, which measure up to 25,25 metres. These longer combinations are in use in Scandinavia, and they’ve been quite succesfull in Holland and in Denmark as well.
After five years of testing with their longer semi trailers, the British say that they have ‘good evidence’ that the longer semi trailers save on the number of vehicle miles driven on British roads, with consequential environmental benefits.
The economic benefits of the ten year trial are estimated at £33 million, with British hauliers saving up to 1 in 9 journeys and reducing carbon emissions by up to 3,000 tonnes. According to Risk Solutionsfourth annual report published on 6th Sept 2016, the trial has recorded around 70% fewer collisions and casualties per kilometre on the new lorries, compared to the average for standard articulated lorries.