The Swedish Government is considering reintroducing compulsory winter tyres on all axles for trucks after an accident that left one person dead, injured 46 and blocked a major route for three days.
Three trucks, two from outside Sweden, were at the heart of the 100-vehicle pile-up, which blocked the E4 at Tranarps Bridge on January 15. It took three days to clear the wreckage.The outcome of the official investigation, which is headed by the Swedish Transport Administration (STA) is likely to influence the imposition of new winter rules covering traction system standards, LGV speeds on motorways and mandatory use of high-spec winter tyres (pictured left).
Arne Davidsson, head of the Malmo Traffic Investigation Unit, which is assisting the STA with its crash inquiry said: “The collision created a domino affect. New rules may be needed to better regulate the speeds of long-haul trucks which are prone to breaking limits to meet tight deadlines.”
The Swedish Automobile Association is also calling for more rigid regulations for trucks and drivers. “The lack of proper winter tyres on the trucks involved in the initial collision must be seen as a root cause. We need new laws and better enforcement,” said SAA chairman Olof Karlberg.
SAA is critical of a recent change in Sweden’s road traffic law, which took effect on 1 January 2013, that only requires heavy vehicles to have winter tyres on their drive axles. Previously, winter tyres were required on all truck wheels from November to March.
“For increased safety, heavy vehicles should have special traction tyres on each wheel and for the duration of winter,” said Karlberg.
The E4 is a popular route for truckers using the European E24 motorway to access regions in Sweden and Norway across the Öresund Bridge. The location of the crash was 20 miles from the Helsingborg ferry port. BACK
Just seen the film , taken from a helicopter, on you-tube. What a mess,
I imagine it’s hard to attend and then clear a pile-up on a normal road, but it must’ve been a nightmare on that bridge.
I ain’t got much right to come on here talking as I’m a mere van driver but I joined as I’ve found some very helpful info on here.
I run Winter Tyres on my van from November to March,I was pulled on the A1 near Osnabruck on my way to Malmo for Weight,I was over but that’s another story.
I asked the Gestapo whether or not I needed Winters and he said “no because your English,but if you caused an accident due to skidding,slipping on snow etc etc then we would throw the book at you”.
We transit Germany on our way to Italy so thought,I’ll be getting some of them then and they are Brilliant,they give you alot more confidence,I take the A7 through the fern pass and they ain’t let me down through there yet I also subby to one of the big parcel companies now and again when I’m in the UK and as they know I’ve got Winters on they’ll often call me in to do all the rural crap as there regular drivers can’t get there…!!! So they do have their down falls…
Hi Azer.I don’t think it matters what you drive,you do the same work and are faced with the same conditions throughout the winter.I have respect for anyone from the UK that puts proper winter tyres on for the ‘‘eventuality’’ instead of the oh so prevelant mentality in the UK,‘‘it’s only for a few days’’.This winter has been very strange for Sweden as they have had as much snow in the south as we get up here.They also have had to contend with temp fluctuations of up to 30 degrees from -30c to zero which has made for incredibly difficult driving.
Her we also have the same fluctuations but they are easier to deal with as they are from-40c to -10c.
Why do you use the Fern pass to Italy,it’s not the best road. just curious.Mike
Hi Mike.
Cheers for your comment.
I just prefer the Fern as I seem to find that it drags from Ulm to Augsburg and then onto Munich,plus I always seem to get pulled at Kiefersfelden,never had any problems,I’ll give the German Police there dues,I always find them alot more polite than the English ones.
Also at the end of the Fern there’s a great Rosenberger site,“Pettnau”,I always stop there for Fuel and a decent shower,also food is good in the restaurant,although not that cheap but its tasty…
The Fern is a pretty route although a bit windy and up and down and it does surprise me how many trucks use it,it gets a bit tight here n there…!! Also its nice and quiet through there at silly o’clock and at Fussen you can get a nice run up to the A8
Aye, that stretch from Ulm to Augsburg is a pain. It should be much better once they finish those road works. Climbing the Dragons Back on the Stuttgart to Ulm bit isn’t much better. No overtaking on a great long climb up from Kirchheim unter Tech, on that 3 lane bit is a right pain
I can understand it on the old 2 lane and no hard shoulder bit, but on the newer 3 lane bit ■■?
I can never understand why you can’t overtake there… then there’s the lovely split past Gruibingen,its OK in a van but must be a nightmare if you get stuck behind some Slow Bob in a 15yr old 260 M.A.N…
was a little supprised to see this story posted here, it was big news here in sweden for a short while but now its died down all together, havent actually heard the official decision of what happened.
the pictures did look pretty bad and im supprised that more people werent seriously hurt or killed in the incident.
the person who died wasnt didnt die in the main incident itself - they stopped and then went back down the road to warn people of what was going on and got runover by someone speeding.
one of the tabloids nicknamed the bridge as the death bridge somewhat of an over statment imo.
whether or not I needed Winters and he said “no because your English,but if you caused an accident due to skidding,slipping on snow etc etc then we would throw the book at you”.
I also subby to one of the big parcel companies now and again when I’m in the UK and as they know I’ve got Winters on they’ll often call me in to do all the rural crap as there regular drivers can’t get there…!!! 
So they do have their down falls… 
just curious.Mike
