Did you know: Bulgaria has a more modern system than Germany for controlling the excessive weight of trucks, but not using it?
Penalties for overweight in freight transport are an important issue to ensure road safety and prevent damage to infrastructure. Sanctions are therefore necessary for the drivers and owners of such vehicles to prevent these risks and ensure road safety.
This was published on their Facebook page by the experts from the Institute of Transportation Engineering - Bulgaria's first private institute in the construction sector. Here are more of their explanations on the case study:
Why is it important to control overload?
In addition to harming vehicles and people, overweight transport can also harm infrastructure. Roads and bridges are designed to withstand a certain weight, and carrying too much can cause irreparable damage to the infrastructure and endanger road users.
What are the best practices for sanctioning?
Penalties for overweight trucks can vary depending on the severity of the offense and the state or region in which it is committed. In some cases, penalties include fines, driving restrictions or impoundment of the vehicle pending compliance. In serious cases, they may also include revocation of the driver's license or closure of the business.
What are the penalties specifically in Germany?
Fines in Germany for overloading are divided into two categories - light trucks and heavy trucks. The greater the overload in both categories, the greater the fine.
The fine - for both the driver and the carrier can reach up to 4,000 euros, plus additional withdrawal of points from the ticket. In some cases, earnings or even a carrier's license may even be revoked for particularly heavy traffic or continued violations. In order to continue the movement of the vehicle, in case of serious violations, it is necessary to unload it to the limit in order to continue its movement.
How can this be monitored and implemented in Bulgaria?
Bulgaria has an effective system for measuring the weight of all cars. Yes, working and even more modern than the one on most German autobahns. More than 100 scales integrated into our toll system can detect and report overweight trucks, buses and vans. Vehicles can and should be stopped and checked except for overloading and for contraband, illegal transportation or human trafficking.
These are automated checks that do not depend on the human factor. Besides, we've already paid them - it's a matter of politicians to start using them - not just to catch up with Germany, but to overtake them.