Draft for a government proposal to Parliament on ... · (VVFS 2003:19, Vägverkets föreskrifter om bil ombyggd till traktor samt bil ombyggd till motorredskap klass II). The design

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Draft for a government proposal to Parliament on amendments to the Vehicles Act, Driver’s

Licence Act and some related acts

MAIN CONTENT OF THE PROPOSAL

The purpose of this proposal is to amend the provisions of the Vehicles Act, Driving Licence Act,

Road Traffic Act, Vehicle Tax Act, Car Tax Act, Fuel Fee Act and Value Added Tax Act.

The aim of the proposal is to enable a new form of transport especially for young people aged 15 to

17 years by introducing a new category of vehicle group. Young people frequently use the road

system to travel and they often use a moped or a microcar for the purpose. However, a speed-limited

car would introduce a new alternative category to these current categories. An additional aim of the

proposal is to improve the road safety for young people.

In this proposal, a new vehicle group, speed-limited cars, would be created. They would be category

T vehicles converted from passenger cars so that their speed is limited to 45 kilometres per hour. Just

as with microcars, the AM licence would suffice for driving speed-limited cars.

It is proposed that the amendments would enter into effect in November 2019.

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RATIONALE

1 Present state

Youths and vehicle traffic

In 2010, approximately 220,000 mopeds and 4,300 microcars were in use, in 2017 the numbers

were 161,000 and 8,100, respectively. Youths mainly use a moped or scooter mainly for four

types of journeys: to visit their friends, to go to school or studies, to ride for pleasure and to

travel to hobbies. A microcar is often used for going to school or studies, visits and going to

hobbies. Microcars are used more for shopping and handling matters that mopeds.

Currently, young people travel approximately 37 kilometres per person per weekday on average.

The share of public transport out of this is 12 km (32%), and the distance covered as a passenger

in passenger cars is 17 km (45%). Mopeds are driven approximately 2.8 km/person (7.7%) and

microcars 1.4 km/person (3.8%) per day. In addition to microcars, also quad bikes have become

more popular among the young. Due to their more competitive prices compared to microcars,

quad bikes have already replaced microcars to some extent.

According to the information of the Finnish Motor Insurers' Centre (LVK), traffic accidents

involving microcars in 2008 totalled 173, of which 9 resulted in a personal injury. Similarly, in

2009 there were 335 accidents, 22 of which resulted in a personal injury. Between 2011 and

2015, the annual number of traffic accidents caused by microcar drivers amounted to 1,004 on

average. Of those, a personal injury occurred once every 185 accidents on average. The

increased number of microcars has also had an impact on the growth of vehicle accidents in

Finland.

Vehicle categories

At the EU level, the vehicle categories are provided for in the so-called framework regulations

concerning the administrative requirements of the motor vehicle type approvals. Regarding

vehicles in category T, the classification is based on the Regulation (EU) of the European

Parliament and of the Council on the approval and market surveillance of agricultural and

forestry vehicles (No 167/2013). The purpose of the regulation is to affirm uniform rules for

placing agricultural and forestry vehicles on the market and for their monitoring.

The regulation is not applied for the approval of individual motor vehicles. The procedures

concerning these fall under the scope of the national legislation of the Member States. The

Member States also have plenty of freedom of action, because no uniform administrative and

technical requirements have been determined for these vehicles. Nationally, this freedom of

action has been utilised with tractor trailers. Their technical requirements are slightly lighter than

those of motor vehicle type approval products and separate type approval is not required before

their introduction into road traffic.

More detailed technical requirements concerning tractors and their trailers are nationally

provided for by the regulation of the Finnish Transport Safety Agency laid down by virtue of the

Vehicles Act (1090/2002) (TRAFI/26407/03.04.03.00/2015: The structure and the equipment of

tractors, motorised work machines and all-terrain vehicles and their trailers and haulable

equipment other than those meant to be attached to a car and vehicles pulled by animals.

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Driving licence provisions

Driving licences and the requirements for their completion are provided for in the Driving

Licence Act (386/2011) and in the Government Decree on Driving Licences (423/2011). The

national legislation must meet the minimum requirements for driving licences and their

classification other than those of tractors, driving tests and issuing driving licences laid down by

Directive 2006/126/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on driving licences

(driving licence directive). The provisions concerning tractor drivers are not included in the EU

legislation.

International comparison

In Sweden, after fulfilling certain technical requirements, a car can be converted into a tractor in

the A-tractor vehicle category. More detailed terms are issued by a regulation by the authorities

(VVFS 2003:19, Vägverkets föreskrifter om bil ombyggd till traktor samt bil ombyggd till

motorredskap klass II). The design speed of a vehicle must be limited to 30 kilometres per hour,

and the gear ratio of transmission must be such that with gear 1 only a maximum speed of 10

km/h can be reached. The structure of the body must be modified so that it is apparent that the

vehicle is no longer suitable for the transportation of passengers. However, one seat is allowed

next to the driver's seat.

In practice these requirements mean that the change can only be made to a limited number of

vehicles. The age of a vehicle has not been limited, and most of the registered class A tractors

are old. In addition to category A tractors, there are older vehicles manufactured before 1 April

1975 belonging to the EPA-tractor category in traffic.

An AM driving licence is required for driving category A tractors, and this is the case with

microcars. The prerequisite is 12 hours of compulsory driving instruction with an authorised

instructor. The prerequisite for taking the examination is passing the theory test and reaching the

age of 15.

According to Trafa, Sweden, an average of 8,700 category A tractors were annually driven in

traffic 2012–2016. The number of class A tractors has, however, been increasing by 850 to 980

vehicles each year since 2012, when there were 6,948 category A tractors in use, whereas in

2016 they totalled 10,601.

According to Transportstyrelsen, Sweden, a category A tractor was involved in 337 accidents.

Two of the accidents were fatal. Accidents resulting in serious injuries occur approximately 3

times per year, and approximately 11 accidents result in moderate injury. In total, the police and

the hospitals annually receive the information on close to 70 accidents related to category A

tractors.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications is not aware of any corresponding solutions in

other EU countries. In Germany, it was still possible in the 1990s to limit a passenger car to

cruise at 30 kilometres per hour as its maximum, after which it could be classified as an

auxiliary for the physically handicapped, but this possibility has been dispensed with since then.

An AM driving licence in other countries

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According to the Driving Licence Directive, the age limit for the AM driving licence is 16 years,

but it can be lowered to a minimum of 14 years or increased to a maximum of 18 years. The age

limit of 16 years is in use, inter alia, in the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands and in Germany. The

Swedish age limit of 15 years is congruent with that of Finland and is also used in Spain and

Iceland. In France, the age limit is 14, and in Denmark 18 years. Outside Europe, a similar AM

category with an age limit of 14 years is in use at least in Canada.

Most of the above-mentioned countries require compulsory driving instruction or theory

instruction or both as a prerequisite for completing an AM licence. The most extensive

instruction obligation is in use in Denmark where 22 hours of theory and 12 hours of driving

instruction are required. In the Netherlands and in Spain, no compulsory instruction is required.

2 The goals of the proposal and key proposals The goals of the proposal

The aim of the proposal is to enable a new form of transport for young people aged 15 to 17

years by introducing a new category pf vehicle group. Young people frequently use the road

system to travel and they often use a moped or a microcar for the purpose. A speed-limited car

would introduce a new alternative for youths alongside to the current category of vehicles.

An additional aim of the proposal is to improve the road safety for young people. Young people

frequently travel by moped and microcar, however, the safety of mopeds is poorer than that of

passenger cars in an accident.

Key proposals

In this proposal, a new category of vehicle group, speed-limited cars, would be created. They

would be vehicles in category T converted from passenger cars so that their speed is limited.

Due to road safety, the following limitations would be proposed:

Maximum vehicle age

A passenger car taken into use after 2014 could be converted into a speed-limited car. A

passenger car from the end of the year of commissioning of which more than 10 years have

passed cannot, however, be converted into a speed-limited car. Speed-limited cars would mainly

be used by young drivers. Owing to technology and enhanced provisions, newer cars are safer

and environmentally friendly than older cars. The purpose of the speed limitation is to help

drivers have the opportunity to benefit from newer than average vehicles and to simultaneously

use safer and more environmentally friendly cars. Regarding safety, the limitation not only

improves driver and passenger safety, it also improves the safety of other road users. Binding the

limitation to the age of the car and not to a specific year model, will guarantee that those benefits

are preserved as technology evolves.

Mass of a road worthy vehicle

According to the proposal, the highest permitted unladen weight for a road worthy speed-limited

car would be 1,500 kilogrammes. The aim of the of the unladen weight limit is to rule out higher

and larger cars like SUVs that are problematic in terms of the safety of pedestrians.

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Limiting speed

The proposal is to limit the highest design speed of a speed-limited car to 45 kilometres per

hour. The aim of the speed limit would be to reduce both the risk of accidents and the potential

consequences of an accident. Limiting speed would, not only improve driver and passenger

safety, it would also have a positive impact on the safety of other road users.

Limiting speed should be implemented so that it would not be easy to repeal the regulation and

to make it simple to control the enforcement of the speed limit. Experiences of limiting speed

exist with respect to mopeds, microcars and heavy-duty vehicles. Speed limiters that are

applicable for use in passenger cars are already available on the market,

Driving license

According to the proposal, a speed-limited car could be driven by an AM category driving

licence, just like a microcar. In other words, the same requirements for theory test and driving

test that exist for microcars would also apply to speed-limited cars.

Taxation

The current tax provisions are not mainly applicable to category T registered vehicles. Leaving

speed-limited cars outside the tax legislation would mean a financial incentive for registering

passenger cars as speed-limited cars, which could have a harmful impact on the tax accrued.

Along with the incentives, the number of speed-limited cars could increase from the current

estimated number.

According to the proposal, speed-limited cars would be taxed like passenger cars. Registering a

vehicle as a speed-limited car would thus not have an impact on the vehicle tax, car tax, fuel fee

collected or the right to value added tax deduction. This would remove a harmful tax incentive

and in practice secure the equal tax treatment of similar cars and tax accrual for the government.

This being the case, restoring cars registered as speed-limited cars back to passenger cars would

be simple because there would not be any tax consequence as a result of the measure.

Inspection and registration

According to the proposal, a passenger car could be converted into a speed-limited car. The

change would require an inspection (Motor Ordnance Test (MOT) in UK English) to ensure that

a speed-limited car would meet the requirements of age, speed limitation and unladen weight of

a road worthy vehicle. More detailed technical requirements concerning the limitation of speed

could be issued as a regulation by Trafi, as is done with other technical requirements concerning

vehicles by virtue of Section 27 a of the Vehicles Act.

A car that is to be converted into a speed-limited car would formerly have had to have been

registered as a passenger car. In this way it will be certain that the technical data concerning a

vehicle are entered into the register in an appropriate manner and that the vehicle meets the high-

standard requirements concerning the road safety of a passenger car and environmental

protection. Simultaneously, changes to the information system can be implemented during the

proposed schedule.

Other implementation options

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In conjunction with the preparation, the following alternatives have been investigated:

Registering speed-limited cars wholly in a category of their own

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From the viewpoint of technical vehicle provisions, creating a wholly new category would be

theoretically possible. The driving licence directive has, however, been formulated so that these

cars would still be subject to provisions concerning passenger cars, meaning that the minimum

age would be 17 years, which would nullify the targeted change in practice.

Limiting the speed to 60 kilometres per hour

According to the evaluations made, increasing the highest permitted speed would have a positive

impact on traffic flow. Increasing the speed would also increase the popularity of speed-limited

cars and thus increase their use on major roads, which may negate and even reverse the desired

impact on traffic flow. The most essential impact would, however, be a negative impact on road

safety, and consequently improved road safety – used as the rationale for the change – might not

be realised at all.

Limiting the age of speed-limited cars to new cars only

During the preparations of the proposal, it was investigated as to whether a new car could be

converted into a speed-limited car. This limitation would, however, significantly increase costs.

When the costs are significantly higher than those of a moped, it is probable that a speed-limited

car would only replace new or barely used microcars. Because the positive impact of the

proposed change mainly originate from the transition to speed-limited cars from mopeds, the

overall impact of the change would remain limited with respect to road safety. In terms of CO2-

emissions, the impact of the change would be negative, but positive with regard to other

emissions.

Waiving the age limit for a speed-limited car

This change would result in the ageing of speed-limited cars which, according to the evidence

from Sweden, may result in a significant increase in the number of accidents and costs caused by

accidents. The change would reduce costs and so probably increase the number of speed-limited

cars in traffic, having a positive impact on young people's possibilities to travel by motor

vehicles, but the impact would be slightly negative from the traffic flow perspective.

3 Impact of the proposal General

In particular, the proposed amendment aims to improve the road safety of young people aged 15

to 17 driving mopeds and microcars. Due to the proposal, young people would have a new mode

of transport to use, which could better guarantee their safety in traffic. When evaluating whether

to permit the commissioning of speed-limited cars, the starting point should be to improve road

safety in comparison to microcars, ensure that the safety of other road users is not significantly

weakened, ensure emissions caused by traffic are not excessively increased and ensure that the

amendment does not excessively impede traffic flow.

To carry out the evaluation of the effects, the Ministry of Transport and Communications and

the Finnish Transport Safety Agency (Trafi) jointly investigated the estimated impact of speed-

limited cars on road safety and the environment. To carry out the evaluation, a survey was

conducted, and on the basis of the results, three scenarios based on the changing popularity of

speed-limited cars were formed. The scenarios were benchmarked against the current situation.

The age group under investigation was limited to 15 to 17 years based on the fact that a speed-

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limited car would become possible to use at the age of 15 and that completing a driving licence

pursuant to the valid legislation would be possible at the age of 18.

In the survey, the parents of young people aged 12 to 14 years were asked how probable it would

be that they acquire a speed-limited car for a young person in their family. In addition, the

parents of young people who own a moped or a microcar were asked, how likely it was that they

would have acquired a speed-limited car instead of a moped or microcar. On the basis of the

survey, various scenarios on the demand for speed-limited cars were created. In the minimum

scenario the assumption is that only those young people who already have a moped or microcar

in use would be interested in speed-limited cars. In this scenario, there would be a total of

approximately 12,000 speed-limited cars coming into use for young people. The average

scenario starts from the assumption that young people who already have a moped or microcar in

use as well as some of those who currently don't have a vehicle of their own in use would be

interested in speed-limited cars. In this scenario, there would be a total of approximately 29,000

speed-limited cars being driven by youths. The maximum scenario starts from the assumption

that young people who already have a moped or microcar in use as well as those who currently

don't have a vehicle of their own in use would be interested in speed-limited cars. According to

this highest anticipated level, approximately 41,000 speed-limited cars could be taken into use

by young people. This scenario does not take into account the possibility that over 18s may also

be attracted to a speed-limited car, since the target of the project is to improve the road safety of

15- to 17-year-olds. It is not probable that the popularity of speed-limited cars among those over

18 years of age would significantly increase from the current number of microcars.

The above-mentioned figures are based on the replies given to a survey in which parents

answered whether they would be either certainly or almost certainly interested in acquiring a

speed-limited car for use by youths. The description of a speed-limited car given to parents in

this survey, however, differs from the government proposal in the sense that the age of the car

had been limited to 15 years, the unladen weight was unlimited and the right to drive them could

have been obtained by having a tractor driving licence. The changes in these factors will increase

the acquisition cost of the speed-limited car and the driving licence. When the price of a speed-

limited car is between the price of a moped (EUR 1,000 to 2,000) and a microcar (approximately

EUR 10,000), it is assumed, see the impact assessment, that the popularity of speed-limited cars

would be similar to the average scenario. In the average scenario, the maximum number of users

would be approximately 29,000 young people. However, a price increase to between 4,000 and

7,000 euros as presented in the framing of the questions and the stricter driving licence

requirements would probably lower demand. Therefore, it is estimated that the demand for

speed-limited cars among young people will probably remain in the range of 20,000 to 25,000

vehicles. On 31 March 2018, there were approximately 2.7 million passenger cars in use, while

mopeds amounted to 126,000 and light quadricycles, most of which are microcars, to 8,800

vehicles.

Impact on households

The proposed amendment would mostly affect households in which a moped or a microcar is

acquired for use by youths. The acquisition price of a speed-limited car is slightly higher than

that of a moped, and depending on the age of the car lower or higher than the price of a

microcar. A speed-limited car can be converted from an existing car, or a car suitable for the

purpose can be acquired. A speed-limited car can be restored to passenger car status, which may

allow the return of save some money on the acquisition cost of a vehicle, since the car would not

necessarily need to be replaced when a young person is granted the right to drive a passenger

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car.

Changes in annual performance and the mode of transport

The traffic performance of young people aged 15 to 17 years by various modes of transport was

evaluated on the basis of passenger traffic and information concerning the traffic performance of

mopeds and microcars. Currently, young people travel approximately 37 kilometres per person

per weekday on average. The share of public transport is 12 km (32%) and as a passenger in

passenger cars it is 17 km (45%). Mopeds are driven approximately 2.8 km (7.7%) and

microcars 1.4 km (3.8%).

In comparison to current use, permitting the use of speed-limited cars would affect transport

modes by enabling a new means of transport that can replace mopeds and microcars. The current

use of a microcar, i.e. approximately 10,000 kilometres per year, was taken as a starting point for

the annual performance of a speed-limited car. In the average scenario, the traffic performance

of young people will grow by 3.4% while in the minimum scenario it would be 1.2% and 4.4%

in the maximum scenario. The impact of the selected means of realisation best corresponds to

the impact calculated for the average scenario. Replacing mopeds with speed-limited cars would

have the largest impact, since according to the estimates, speed-limited cars would cover a

mileage three times that of mopeds. Moreover, speed-limited cars can be used throughout the

year, and when those using mopeds shift to using speed-limited cars, the number of passengers

on public transport will reduce.

The commissioning of speed-limited cars would have a significant impact on young people's

transportation modes. In the average scenario, the share of speed-limited cars would be 11.5%,

whereas in the minimum scenario the growth would be 5% and 16.4% in the maximum scenario.

In the average scenario, the share of the public transport mode would reduce from the current

32% by 3.4 percentage units, in the minimum scenario the reduction would be 1 percentage unit

and 5.0 percentage units in the maximum scenario. The total mode share of mopeds and

microcars would reduce from the current 12% in the average scenario by 5.2 percentage units,

while in the minimum scenario the reduction would be 3.4 percentage units and 6.7 percentage

units in the maximum scenario. Being a passenger in passenger cars would also reduce in the

average scenario by 2.3 percentage units from the current 45%, while in the minimum scenario

the reduction would be 0.6 percentage units and 3.7 percentage units in the maximum scenario.

Impact on traffic flow

The impact on traffic flow was investigated by simulations for which three different

circumstantial scenarios were created. The impact of slow vehicles on the speed of traffic flow,

queues and overtaking was investigated. In the simulations, for speed-limited cars both a

maximum speed of 45 km/h and 60 km/h was experimented with. In the first scenario, a brisk

single carriageway with a speed limit of 100 km/h was used. In the second scenario, a lively

traffic route on the outskirts of an urban area with a speed limit of 60 km/h was used. In the third

scenario, a narrow rural road with a speed limit of 80 km/h was used. A stretch of road 10

kilometres in length was investigated in each scenario. The impact of delay on the average

speeds of other vehicles was investigated. The delay is the additional travel time created for a

vehicle that is not capable of cruising at the maximum permissible speed, because it is forced to

drive behind a slower vehicle.

In the basic setting of the first scenario, the average speed of passenger cars was 88 km/h and

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that of lorries 83 km/h. There were no speed-limited cars in the traffic flow. When speed-limited

cars cruising at 45 km/h are placed in the scenario, the average speed of passenger cars drops

down by 7% to 15%, and that of lorries by 5% to 14%. During brisk traffic, over a distance of 10

kilometres, passenger cars were subject to a delay of 37 seconds and lorries to a delay of 12

seconds due to the traffic flow. When an increasing number of speed-limited cars is added to the

traffic, there is a 1.6- to 2.5-fold increase in the delay suffered by passenger cars and a 2.6- to

5.8-fold increase in delay for lorries. At its longest, the delay is close to one minute. In the first

scenario, the possibility to overtake speed-limited cars using a reserve lane was simulated. The

assumption was that a speed-limited car would always give way, i.e. the result would be the best

possible. In this situation, the impact on average speed was minor, and the amount of overtaking,

other than those made using the reserve lane, increased by less than 20.

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In the basic setting of the second scenario, the average speed of the passenger cars and lorries is

60 km/h. Adding speed-limited cars cruising at 45 km/h to the traffic flow reduces the average

speed of both passenger cars and lorries by 2% to 12%. During brisk traffic, over a distance of

10 kilometres, passenger cars were subject to a delay of 17 seconds and lorries to a delay of 19

seconds due to the traffic flow. When an increased number of speed-limited cars is added to the

traffic flow, a 1.6- to 5.1-fold increase in delay is suffered by passenger cars and a 1.6- to 4.7-

fold increase in delay is experienced by lorries. At its longest, the delay is more than one minute.

In scenario 2, no opportunity for overtaking has been included in the assumption, but nor is it

forbidden. The oncoming lane must be used for overtaking, meaning that a significant risk is

involved in every single overtaking and that driving behind slow vehicles would increase the

risk.

In the third scenario, the average speed of passenger cars is 80 km/h and that of lorries is 79

km/h. Adding speed-limited cars cruising at 45 km/h in the traffic flow reduces the average

speed of passenger cars by 7% to 17%, and that of lorries by 7% to 19%. During brisk traffic,

over a distance of 10 kilometres, passenger cars were subject to a delay of 21 seconds, and

lorries to a delay of 26 seconds due to the traffic flow. When an increased number of speed-

limited cars is added to traffic, there is a 2.3- to 4.7-fold increase in delay suffered by passenger

cars and a 2.2- to 4.6-fold increase in delay by lorries. At its longest, the delay is even as much

as one and a half minutes. In addition, it can be assumed that bus traffic would be similarly

disrupted. In scenario 3, no opportunity for overtaking has been included in the assumption, but

nor is it forbidden. The oncoming lane must be used for overtaking, meaning that a significant

risk is involved in every single overtaking and that driving behind slow vehicles would increase

the risk.

Impact on road safety

The impact on road safety was investigated on the basis of Trafi's data on injuries and deaths in

traffic accidents because the aim of the proposal is to reduce the number of traffic accident

victims. The risk estimate is the average and is based on annual performance. The starting point

for risk assessment is the risk of 18- to 19-year-old passenger car drivers adjusted by a 1.68-fold

risk for 15 to 17-year-olds in comparison to the 18- to 19-year-olds. In this case, the risk would

be slightly lower (0.51 victims per one million passenger kilometres) compared to the current

0.65 with microcars.

When this risk level was used with speed-limited cars, the number of people injured or involved

in fatal traffic accidents declines in all scenarios regarding the number of speed-limited cars.

This is largely due to the fact that a speed-limited car would partially replace moped use which

has an almost 6-fold risk compared to a speed-limited car. The annual performance of a speed-

limited car is, however, higher than that of driving a moped, which balances out the situation

somewhat. The use of speed-limited cars will also reduce the number of microcar accident

victims. In the average scenario, the number of victims reduces by 54 persons a year, while in

the minimum scenario the reduction would be 28 persons and 62 persons in the maximum

scenario. The number of fatalities caused by accidents reduces in the average scenario by 0.5

fatalities, while in the minimum scenario the reduction would be 0.3, and 0.6 in the maximum

scenario.

By using the unit price factors of accidents, it can be stated that the financial savings on accident

costs would be approximately 18 million euros in the average scenario, while in the minimum

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scenario it would be around 10 million euros and in the maximum scenario around 20 million

euros.

If road safety is assessed on the basis of the current risk level of microcars, the impact on the

number of victims is somewhat neutral. The number of accident victims caused by accidents

reduces in the average scenario by 19 persons, while in the minimum scenario the reduction

would be 13, and 12 persons in the maximum scenario. The number of fatalities caused by

accidents would reduce in the average scenario by 0.2 persons while in the minimum and the

maximum scenario the reduction would be 0.1 persons.

If the comparative risk level of A-tractors in Sweden is taken as a starting point for the

comparison, the commissioning of speed-limited cars is predicted to increase the total number of

victims by 70 persons in the average scenario, while in the minimum scenario the increase

would be 25, and in the maximum scenario 115. Even though the risk of speed-limited cars is

smaller than that of driving a moped, the higher driving performance of the speed-limited car is

predicted to increase the number of accident victims. Depending on the scenario, the number of

fatal accidents would increase in the average scenario by 0.7 persons while in the minimum

scenario the increase would be 0.2 and 1.1 in the maximum scenario.

The risk level of speed-limited cars is affected by the assumed traffic behaviour of 15 to 17-year-

olds with the new vehicle type. On the basis of the information available in Finland concerning

the use of microcars, it is not probable that the risk level would be as high as it is with A-tractors

in Sweden. The technical requirements for A-tractors and the high age of the vehicles also

contribute to the emergence of a higher risk. On the basis of the information received from

Sweden, typical accidents with A-tractors include rear-end collisions and running off the road

due to a loss of control. In the Finnish investigations, it has been found that the slower speed of

microcars will cause not only rear-end collisions but also a danger when overtaking.

On the basis of a survey of young people in Sweden, only about a fourth of them cruise below

the highest permitted speed of 30 km/h; more than half of the vehicles had been tuned to run

over 80 km/h. Almost all A-tractor drivers report that they often speed. From the perspective of

road safety, the age and safety level of the vehicles must be taken into account. The recycling of

cars as speed-limited cars would increase the average age of road vehicles. In Sweden, for

example, A-tractors are often old vehicles that would not have passed a regular MOT.

The larger unladen weight of a speed-limited car could to some extent increase the gravity of the

consequences of an accident to an unprotected party. Despite their larger unladen weight,

permitting speed-limited cars to be driven by young people would, however, probably not cause

a significant risk to pedestrians. The aim of limiting the speed of speed-limited cars is to reduce

the serious consequences of accidents. In the accident statistics for microcars in Finland or A

tractors in Sweden, the safety of pedestrians does not stand out as a major issue. According to

the microcar report of the Finnish Motor Insurers' Centre (LVK), Finnish Crash Data Institute,

there were 87 accidents between microcars and pedestrians and bicycles in 2011–2015, which is

1.7% of all traffic accidents involving microcars. As the share of pedestrian accidents was

almost the same for all categories of drivers of motor vehicles in urban areas, there is no way to

draw a conclusion that young drivers would be a higher risk to pedestrians than any other age

groups.

Impact on traffic emissions

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The impact on traffic emissions has been estimated on the basis of the data derived from the

LIPASTO calculation system for traffic exhaust emissions and energy use in Finland. The

average values have been used as emission factors for mopeds and microcars. In the assumption,

the speed-limited cars are approximately 10 years old, and the average emission factors of urban

driving have been used for calculation. A typical passenger car is expected to be approximately 5

years old and the average emission factors of urban and highway driving have been used for the

calculations. The factors of the EURO V category for city buses have been used as emission

factors for public transport.

Fuel consumption, carbon dioxide emissions in terms of impact on climate (CO2 equivalence

emissions) and particle emissions (PM), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and carbon monoxide emissions

(CO) in terms of the impact on air quality, have been considered in the investigation.

Fuel consumption will increase in all scenarios that permit the use of speed-limited cars. This is

due to the fact that the consumption of a speed-limited car (7.4 l / 100 km) is markedly higher

than that of a moped (2.9 l/ 100 km) or a microcar (5.3 l/ 100 km). In the average scenario, the

growth of fuel consumption will be 30%, while in the minimum scenario the growth would be

10%, and more than 40% in the maximum scenario. It is also assumed that speed-limited cars

will have a higher mileage than mopeds, which also increases fuel consumption. The fuel

consumption of 15- to 17-year-olds is 0.9% of the total road traffic consumption today and 1.5%

of the total consumption for passenger traffic on roads. In the average scenario, the share of total

road traffic consumption would increase to 1.1% and become 1.9% of the total consumption of

passenger traffic. In the average scenario, the overall fuel consumption of road traffic would

increase by 0.3% while in the minimum scenario the growth would be 0.1% and 0.4% in the

maximum scenario. In the average scenario, the total fuel consumption of passenger traffic on

roads would grow by 0.4%, while in the minimum scenario the growth would be 0.1%, and 0.6%

in the maximum scenario.

Carbon dioxide emissions are directly comparable with fuel consumption, which means that the

carbon dioxide emissions will increase in all scenarios. In the average scenario, the growth

would be approximately 20% while in the minimum scenario it would be 7% and 29% in the

maximum scenario. Regarding carbon dioxide emissions, the change originates from higher

consumption and a higher emission factor: the emission factor of a moped is 68 grammes per

passenger kilometre, and those of a microcar and speed-limited car are 128 and 168,

respectively. Today, the transport of young people generates approximately 1.2% of the total

road traffic emissions and 2.0% of the total emissions of passenger traffic on roads. In the

average scenario, the share of total emissions of road traffic would increase by 1.4% while in the

minimum scenario the growth would be 1.3% and 1.5% in the maximum scenario. In the

average scenario, the share of total traffic emissions of passenger traffic would increase by 2.4%,

while in the minimum scenario the growth would be 2.1%, and 2.5% in the maximum scenario.

In the average scenario, the share of total emissions of road traffic would increase by 0.2% while

in the minimum scenario it would be 0.1% and 0.3% in the maximum scenario. In the average

scenario, for carbon dioxide emissions, the overall consumption of passenger traffic on roads

would grow by 0.4% while in the minimum scenario the growth would be 0.1% and 0.6% in the

maximum scenario.

Particle emissions (PM) affect air quality in neighbourhoods near roads. In all utility rate

scenarios of speed-limited cars, the particle emissions will reduce in relation to the present

situation. The impact will depend on the extent to which speed-limited cars will replace mopeds

and microcars and how the change will increase traffic. In other words, the change will not be

14

directly proportional to the number of microcars. In the average scenario, the reduction will be

approximately 20% while in the minimum scenario it would be 22% and 23% in the maximum

scenario. Almost all of the reduction originates from not using diesel driven microcars any

longer. The particle emission factor of a microcar is 0.1 grammes per passenger kilometre, while

those of a moped and a speed-limited car are 0.046 and 0.018, respectively. Total road traffic

emissions are estimated to be approximately 1.9% and of the total road traffic emissions of

passenger traffic 4.8% to be due to youths travelling by motor vehicles. In the speed-limited car

scenarios, these values would decline by 1.5% in the average scenario. In the minimum and

maximum scenarios the decline would be 1.4% and in the minimum and average scenario the

decline is 3.8% and in the maximum scenario 3.7%. As regards particle emissions, total road

traffic emissions would decline by 0.4% and decline for the total emissions of passenger traffic

in the average scenario is 1.0% while in the minimum and maximum scenario the decline is

1.1%.

Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions have a significant impact on air quality. No major changes occur in the amount of emissions in any of the scenarios. In the average scenario, emissions increase by 1.7% while in the minimum scenario they reduce by 2.4% and increase by 3.0% in the maximum scenario. Other changes affect the scenarios: a reduction in the number of diesel driven microcars would reduce emissions while the use of older passenger cars would increase them. The reduction in public transport would also reduce the emission load caused by nitrogen oxide. Regarding nitrogen oxide, 1.3% of the total road traffic emissions and 3.4% of the total road traffic emissions of passenger traffic are due to youths travelling in vehicles. The shares will not change in practice, and the total reduction or growth of emissions will remain under 0.1%.

Carbon monoxide (CO) emissions also affect air quality. In the average scenario, the reduction

in carbon monoxide emissions will be approximately 21% while in the minimum scenario it will

be 12% and 28% in the maximum scenario. The reduction in emissions originates from the less

advanced exhaust cleaning systems of mopeds and microcars compared to speed-limited cars.

The emission factor of a moped is 4.4 grammes per passenger kilometre while those of a

microcar and a speed-limited car are 2.0 and 0.2, respectively. Approximately 2.4% of the total

road traffic emissions and 2.9% of the total road traffic emissions of passenger traffic are due to

youths travelling in vehicles. In the average scenario, the share of the total emissions of road

traffic would reduce by 1.9% while in the minimum scenario it would reduce by 2.1% and 1.7%

in the maximum scenario. In the average scenario, the share of the total emissions of passenger

traffic would reduce by 2.3% while in the minimum scenario the reduction would be 2.5% and

2.1% in the maximum scenario. In the average scenario, the total emissions of road traffic would

reduce by 0.5% while in the minimum scenario the reduction would be 0.3% and 0.7% in the

maximum scenario. In the average scenario, for carbon dioxide emissions, the total emissions of

passenger traffic would reduce by 0.6% while in the minimum scenario the reduction would be

0.3% and 0.8% in the maximum scenario.

Financial impact

The impact of the acquisition price on the selection of a mode of transport

The acquisition price of vehicles may have a significant impact on the popularity of each mode

of transport. The above-mentioned assessment is based on a survey sent to the guardians of

young people, where the assumption was that the money spent on acquiring a speed-limited car

and the necessary right to drive is somewhat minor. The right to drive would require a tractor

15

licence, and modifying a passenger car would be easy, and the change could be implemented for

approximately 15-year-old stock. The total cost would amount to 700 euros.

The costs of a speed-limited car have been estimated to impact the probability of the realisation

of the scenarios as follows: If the costs turn out to be as high as those of a microcar, the utility

ratio can be assumed to remain at the level of the minimum scenario. If the costs fall in between

a moped and a microcar (approximately 5,000 to 6,000 euros), the demand is expected to follow

the average scenario. If the costs of a speed-limited car are competitive in relation to a moped,

i.e. around 2,000 euros, the maximum scenario may occur.

Economic impact

Changes in traffic flow also have an economic impact. In all of the simulated scenarios, the

average speed of passenger cars and lorries is in decline, and an increasing amount of delay is

caused when a car is forced to drive behind a slower vehicle. The increase in driving time has a

significant economic impact especially on the transportation of goods. Depending on the

scenario, the delay over a 10-kilometre distance has been estimated to be almost one minute or

even one and a half minutes. When delays increase, it is more difficult to plan goods

transportation and to keep the schedules. Similar disadvantages can also be expected to be faced

on long-distance bus routes, which may affect scheduling and operating costs. The simulations

illustrated situations where several speed-limited cars move on a busy road during an hour. For

most of the road network, the impact of speed-limited cars on traffic flow remains low.

Socio-economic costs of traffic

By utilising the unit values of the projected evaluations for road traffic, it is estimated that the

annual savings incurred by the commissioning of speed-limited cars would be in the range of 10

to 20 million euros, depending on the utility ratio.

By using the unit values of project assessment for road traffic with regard to emissions it is

estimated that, as a whole, the socio-economic costs of traffic would increase. The increase in

carbon dioxide emissions would increase costs by 0.4 to 1.6 million euros annually, while the

reduction of particle emissions would reduce the annual costs by approximately 0.3 million

euros. Nitrogen oxide costs may be higher or lower than today, and no unit value has been

determined for carbon monoxide emissions. To sum up, the socio-economic costs of traffic

would increase approximately by 0.1 to 1.3 million euros a year because of the emission impact.

The proposed changes are not estimated to have a significant impact on government tax revenue.

If, however, the number of cars increases due to the changes, it may slightly increase the revenue

from car tax and vehicle tax.

Impact on the actions of the authorities

The Finnish Transport Safety Agency Trafi is responsible for the tasks related to the inspection,

registration and taxation of vehicles. With respect to these tasks, the proposal is expected to

especially increase the need for advice and guidance. The increased need for advice and

guidance focuses on the contractual registrars acting on behalf of Trafi and the people

performing MOTs at motor vehicle inspection stations.

The proposal requires changes to be made to the vehicle information system. Trafi has estimated

16

the costs of the changes to the information system to be 200,000 euros. The expense is non-

recurring.

The proposal will increase the supervisory duties of the regulatory authorities.

4 Preparation of the proposal

The proposal has been prepared by the Ministry of Transport and Communications together with

Trafi. Interest groups have been requested to give an opinion.

5 Dependence on other proposals

The government proposal (HE 180/2017) concerning the overall renewal of the Road Traffic Act

are under parliamentary proceedings.

If the above-mentioned proposal and this proposal are simultaneously under parliamentary

proceedings, the changes shall, if necessary, be adjusted with this proposal when the one of the

proposals is under proceedings which is targeted to enter into force later.

17

DETAILED REASONING

1 Rationale of the bill

1.1. Vehicles Act

Section 14 b Speed-limited car. The section would provide for a new vehicle group belonging to

category T1. The vehicles would be modified from vehicles formerly commissioned within

category M1 and taken into use after 2014. No more than ten years may have passed since the

end of the year of the commissioning of a category M1 vehicle if it is to be converted into a T

category vehicle. The unladen weight of the vehicle would be limited to 1,500 kilogrammes.

Electric cars, however, would not be subject to this limitation. The design speed of a vehicle

would be limited to 45 kilometres per hour.

1.2. Driving Licence Act

Section 4 Driving licence categories. In section 1, subsection 1, the subparagraph under

paragraph b would be amended by adding the speed-limited car to it, i.e. a new category T1

vehicle for the Vehicles Act. The subparagraph would include light quadricycles, category T3

tractors and speed-limited cars. Uniform requirements would cover the right to drive these

vehicles. The right to drive quadricycles with a category AM licence would also be

acknowledged elsewhere as compliant with EU legislation. The right to drive speed-limited cars

with a category AM licence would be based on national practice, and other countries would not

have any obligation to acknowledge the right to drive.

Section 7 Extent of the right to drive. Regulations concerning the driving of speed-limited cars

would be added to subsection 5 of this section.

Section 39 Driver of the vehicle in driving instruction and driving practice. Regulations

concerning speed-limited cars would be added to paragraph 5 of subsection 1 of this section.

Section 41 Implementation of driving instruction and driving practice. Regulations concerning

the implementation of driving instruction would be added to subsection 2 of this section.

1.3. Road Traffic Act

Section 88 Obligation to use a seatbelt and other safety equipment for passengers and drivers.

In this section, subsection 1 would be amended by adding paragraph 7, which would state that a

seatbelt and other safety equipment would also have to be used in a speed-limited car.

1.4. Vehicle Tax Act

Section 4 Taxable vehicles. This section covers vehicles subject to vehicle tax. According to the

valid provision, vehicle tax concerns vehicles belonging to categories M and N. In order to also

make the corresponding speed-limited cars registered in category T1 taxable, speed-limited cars

would need to be mentioned in this section under subsection 1. A new subsection 4 would be

18

required to specify that speed-limited cars would be taxed like passenger cars. In taxation, a

speed-limited car would be considered to belong to the vehicle category it would be registered in

if it did not have a speed limiter. Thus, a passenger car registered as a speed-limited car, would

still be taxed as a passenger car after its vehicle category change.

1.5. Car Tax Act

Section 1 This section concerns the scope of application of the Car Tax Act and taxable

vehicles. Pursuant to the valid provision, the taxable vehicles are passenger cars, vans, buses

with an unladen weight of 1,875 kilogrammes, motorcycles and other category L vehicles. Since

speed-limited cars registered in category T1 deviate from passenger cars only by means of the

speed limiter, speed-limited cars would also be subject to the same tax as passenger cars.

Because of this, speed-limited cars would be mentioned in connection with subsection 1 of this

section.

A new subsection 3 would be added to this section to specify that provisions concerning

passenger cars would be applied to the taxation of speed-limited cars. As car tax is usually

collected when a car is registered for the first time in Finland, a car originally registered as a

passenger car would no longer be subject to tax collection when it is registered as a speed-

limited car. Correspondingly, removing the speed limiter and once again registering a speed-

limited car as a passenger car would not result in any consequences for tax collection. Tax could,

however, be collectible, for example, if a car has been commissioned and converted to a speed-

limited car before it is registered in Finland for the first time. In this case, the taxation would be

carried out normally as if registered as a passenger car.

1.6. Fuel Fee Act

Section 1 Scope of application of the act. According to subsection 1 of this section, a car using

fuel with a lighter tax than that of petrol or diesel oil will pay a fuel fee to the government as

provided for in this act. The valid provision would also cover speed-limited cars, and thus there

is no need to separately mention them in the provision concerning the scope of application.

In the Fuel Fee Act, the fee and the applicability of several provisions depends, however, on the

vehicle category. Since the idea is to apply the fuel fee to speed-limited cars as is done with cars

registered as passenger cars, it would be simpler to add a provision concerning this matter to

section 1. To do so, a new subsection 3 would be added to this section, which would correspond

to the provisions to be added to the Vehicle Tax Act and the Car Tax Act.

1.7. Value Added Tax Act

Section 114 Limitations to the right of deduction are provided for in section 114 of the Value

Added Tax Act (1501/1993). To retain the actual scope of application concerning the provision

on the limitations of deduction concerning passenger cars, the proposal is to amend section 114

so that the rights of deduction included in the acquisition price and the operating cost of

passenger cars would also be applied to speed-limited cars converted from category M1 vehicles

as referred to in section 14 b of the Vehicles Act.

19

2 Entering into force

The amendments have been proposed to enter into force in November 2019.

20

Bill

1.

Act

on the amendment of the Vehicles Act

In accordance with the decision of Parliament,

the following shall be added to the Vehicles Act (1090/2002) section 14 b:

Section 14 b

Speed-limited car

A speed-limited car is a tractor referred to in section 14, subsection 1, subparagraph 1 which has

been modified from a formerly commissioned category M1 vehicle of which:

a) no more than 10 years have passed since the end of its year of commissioning, however the

car must have been taken into use after the year 2014 at the earliest;

b) the unladen weight is at most 1,500 kg, if the driving power is based on fuel other than

electricity; and

c) the top design speed must be limited to 45 kilometres per hour.

—————

This act shall enter into force on the <day> of <month> 20 .

—————

21

2.

Act

on amendments to the Driving Licence Act


in the Driving Licence Act (386/2011), section 4, subsection 1, paragraph 1, subparagraph b and

section 7, subsection 5, section 39, subsection 1, paragraph 5 and section 41, subsection 2 shall be

amended as laid down in the act 387/2018 as follows:

Section 4

Driving licence categories

The group 1 driving licence categories are:

1) AM, which includes:

b) light quadricycles and those tractors belonging to vehicle category T3 the highest design speed

of which is more than 40 kilometres per hour and a maximum of 60 kilometres per hour with

haulable vehicles attached to them and the speed-limited cars referred to in section 14 b of the

Vehicles Act;

Section 7

Extent of the right to drive

Category T and the right to drive a speed-limited car and a category T3 tractor by a category AM

licence shall only be valid in Finland.

Section 39

The driver of the vehicle in driving instruction and in driving practice

In driving instruction and driving practice, the following persons shall be deemed the driver of the

vehicle:

1) in category B it is the instructor and in driving practice, the person instructing the practice;

2) in categories C1 and C, the instructor;

3) in driving instruction for categories D1 or D, the instructor or the person completing the driving

licence if he/she already has a category C driving licence;

4) in category E, the person completing the driving licence;

5) when driving instruction is provided or driving is practised on a moped, motorcycle, tractor,

light quadricycle or speed-limited car where the seats are placed sequentially, is the person

completing the driving licence or the teacher and, in driving practice, the person directing driving

practice if he/she is accompanying on a motorcycle, tractor or in a light quadricycle;

6) in category T, the person completing the driving licence.

22

Section 41

The implementation of driving instruction and driving practice

In the driving instruction of or driving practice of categories B, C1 and C, the person instructing must

be seated next to the learner-driver. The same shall concern the driving instruction of or driving

practice by a light quadricycle, speed-limited car or a tractor if the seats are located next to each

other in the vehicle.

———


—————

23

3.

Act

on amendments to the Road Traffic Act


section 88, subsection 1 of the Road Traffic Act (267/1981) shall be amended, as laid down in the act

234/2006 as follows:

Section 88

Obligation to use a seatbelt and other seat safety equipment

The driver and the passenger must, when driving, always wear the seatbelt installed on the seat or use

other safety equipment which protects them:

1) in a passenger car;

2) in a bus;

3) in a van;

4) in a lorry;

5) in a tricycle moped and motor-driven tricycle if seatbelts belong to the original equipment of

the vehicle;

6) in a light quadricycle, heavy quadricycle and off-road vehicle if seatbelts belong to the original

equipment of the vehicle;

7) in a speed-limited car.

———


—————

24

4.

Act

on amendments to section 4 of the Vehicle Tax Act


section 4 of the Vehicle Tax Act (1281/2003) shall be amended as it is partially laid down in acts

235/2007 and 307/2018, as follows:

Section 4

Taxable vehicles

A vehicle tax shall be paid for vehicles registered in categories M and N and for category T speed-

limited cars. For vehicles registered outside Finland, a lumpsum tax and consumption tax shall be

payable as provided for in sections 38–44. A vehicle tax shall also be paid for vehicles which should

have been entered into the register or reported in the register as commissioned for use in traffic.

A nonroad engine built on the chassis of a car shall not be deemed a vehicle referred to in subsection

1 if it is a vehicle of category N2 or N3 equipped with specific equipment meant for work and if it

has not been meant for the transportation of any other goods than the tools and equipment necessary

for the work.

Regarding taxation, a vehicle which has not been classified in M, N or another vehicle category in

the traffic register, shall be deemed to belong to a vehicle category compliant with road traffic

legislation according to the quality of the vehicle.

For speed-limited cars, the vehicle tax shall be applied pursuant to what is provided for passenger

cars in this act.

—————

———


—————

25

5.

Act

on amendments to section 1 of the Car Tax Act


section 1 of the Car Tax Act (1482/1994) shall be amended as it is partially laid down in acts 5/2009

and 313/2018, as follows:

Section 1

A car tax shall be collected by the government, as provided for in this act, from passenger cars

(category M1), vans (category N1) and buses (category M2) the unladen weight of which is under

1,875 kilogrammes, speed-limited cars (category T), motorcycles (categories L3 and L4) and other

vehicles deemed to belong to category L, prior to entering them in the register referred to in the Act

on Traffic Services (320/2017) (register) or their commissioning in Finland.

Unless otherwise provided for in this act, the current Vehicles Act (1090/2002) shall be applied to

the classification of vehicles and the technical properties of vehicles.

For speed-limited cars, the car tax shall be applied pursuant to that which is provided for passenger

cars in this act.

—————

———


—————

26

6.

Act

on amendments to section 1 of the Fuel Fee Act


section 1 of the Fuel Fee Act (1280/2003) shall be amended as follows:

Section 1

Scope of application of the act

For a car using fuel with a lighter tax than that of petrol or diesel oil, a fuel fee shall be paid to the

government as provided for in this act.

This act shall be applied to vehicles registered in Finland or in another country or to vehicles which

are used but unregistered in Finland.

For category T speed-limited cars, the fuel fee shall be applied pursuant to that which is provided for

passenger cars in this act.

—————

———


—————

27

7.

Act

on amendments to section 114 of the Value added Tax Act


section 114, subsection 3 of the Value added Tax Act (1501/1993) shall be amended, as laid down in

the act 962/1998 as follows:

Section 114

That which is provided for passenger cars above in subsection 1, paragraph 5 and in subsection 2,

shall also be applied to dual-use cars and speed-limited cars modified from a category M1 vehicle

referred to in section 14 b of the Vehicles Act.

—————

———


—————

28

Annex

Parallel texts

Act

on the amendment of the Vehicles Act

In accordance with the decision of Parliament, the following shall be added to the Vehicles Act (1090/2002) section 14 b:

Law in force Proposal

A new section 14 b shall be added to the law Section 14 b

Speed-limited car

A speed-limited car is a tractor referred to in

section 14, subsection 1, subparagraph 1

which has been modified from a formerly

commissioned category M1 vehicle of which:

a) no more than 10 years have passed since

the end of its year of commissioning,

however the car must have been taken into

use after the year 2014 at the earliest;

b) the unladen weight is at most 1,500 kg, if

the driving power is based on fuel other than

electricity; and

c) the design speed has been limited to 45

kilometres per hour.

This Act shall enter into force on the <day> of <month> 20 .

29

Act

on amendments to the Driving Licence Act


in the Driving Licence Act (386/2011), section 4, subsection 1, paragraph 1, subparagraph b and section 7, subsection 5, section 39, subsection 1, paragraph 5 and section 41, subsection 2 shall be

amended as laid down in the act 387/2018 as follows:


Section 4

Driving licence classes

The group 1 driving licence classes are:

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — b) light quadricycles and those tractors belonging to the vehicle category T3 the highest design speed of which is more than 40 kilometres per hour and at its maximum 60 kilometres per hour with haulable vehicles attached; — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Section 4

Driving licence classes

The group 1 driving licence classes are:

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — b) light quadricycles and those tractors belonging to vehicle category T3, the highest design speed of which is more than 40 kilometres per hour and a maximum of 60 kilometres per hour with haulable vehicles attached and the speed-limited cars referred to in section 14 b of the Vehicles Act; — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Section 7


— — — — — — — — — — — — — — Category T and the right to drive a category T3 tractor by a category AM licence shall

only be valid in Finland. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Section 7


— — — — — — — — — — — — — — Category T and the right to drive a speed-limited car and a category T3 tractor by a category AM licence shall only be valid in

Finland. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Section 39


— — — — — — — — — — — — — — 5) when driving instruction is provided or

driving is practised on a moped, motorcycle, tractor, light quadricycle or speed-limited car where the seats are placed sequentially, is the person completing the driving licence or the teacher and, in driving practice, the person directing driving practice if he/she is accompanying on a motorcycle, tractor or in a light quadricycle;

— — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Section 39


— — — — — — — — — — — — — — 5) when driving instruction is provided or

driving is practised on a moped, motorcycle, tractor, light quadricycle or speed-limited car where the seats are placed sequentially, is the person completing the driving licence or the teacher and, in driving practice, the person directing driving practice if he/she is accompanying on a motorcycle, tractor or in a light quadricycle;

— — — — — — — — — — — — — —

30

Section 41 Section 41

Implementation of driving instruction and driving practice

Implementation of driving instruction and driving practice

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — In the driving instruction of or driving

practice for categories B, C1 and C, the person instructing must be seated next to the

learner-driver. The same shall apply to the driving instruction of or the driving practice

conducted in a light quadricycle or on a tractor if the seats are located next to each

other in the vehicle. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — In the driving instruction of or driving

practice for categories B, C1 and C, the person instructing must be seated next to the

learner-driver. The same shall apply to the driving

instruction of or the driving practice for a light quadricycle, speed-limited car or a

tractor if the seats are located next to each other in the vehicle.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — —

This Act shall enter into force on the <day> of <month> 20 .

31

Act

on amendments to the Road Traffic Act

In accordance with the decision of Parliament, section 88, subsection 1 of the Road Traffic Act (267/1981) shall be amended, as laid down in the

act 234/2006 as follows:


Section 88

Obligation to use a seatbelt and other seat

safety equipment

The driver and the passenger must, when driving, always wear the seatbelt installed on the seat or use other safety equipment which protects them:


2) in a bus;

3) in a van;

4) in a lorry;

5) in a tricycle moped and motor-driven tricycle if seatbelts belong to the original equipment of the vehicle;

6) in a light quadricycle, heavy quadricycle and off-road vehicle if seatbelts belong to the original equipment of the vehicle.

Section 88

Obligation to use a seatbelt and other seat

safety equipment

The driver and the passenger must, when driving, always wear the seatbelt installed on the seat or use other safety equipment which protects them:


2) in a bus;

3) in a van;

4) in a lorry;

5) in a tricycle moped and motor-driven tricycle if seatbelts belong to the original equipment of the vehicle;

6) in a light quadricycle, heavy quadricycle and off-road vehicle if seatbelts belong to the original equipment of the vehicle;

7) in a speed-limited car.


32

Act

on amendments to section 4 of the Vehicle Tax Act

In accordance with the decision of Parliament, section 4 of the Vehicle Tax Act (1281/2003) shall be amended as it is partially laid down in acts

235/2007 and 307/2018, as follows:


Section 4

Taxable vehicles

A vehicle tax shall be paid on vehicles registered in categories M and N. For vehicles registered outside Finland, a lumpsum tax and consumption tax shall be payable as provided for in sections 38–44. A vehicle tax shall also be paid for vehicles which should have been entered into the register or reported in the register as commissioned for use in traffic.

A nonroad engine built on the chassis of a car shall not be deemed a vehicle referred to in subsection 1 if it is a vehicle of category N2 or N3 equipped with specific equipment meant for work and if it has not been meant for the transportation of any other goods than the tools and equipment necessary for the work.

Regarding taxation, a vehicle which has not been classified in M, N or another vehicle category in the traffic register, shall be deemed to belong to a vehicle category compliant with road traffic legislation according to the quality of the vehicle.

Section 4

Taxable vehicles

A vehicle tax shall be paid on vehicles registered in categories M and N and for category T speed-limited cars. For vehicles registered outside Finland, a lumpsum tax and consumption tax shall be payable as provided for in sections 38–44. A vehicle tax shall also be paid for vehicles which should have been entered into the register or reported in the register as commissioned for use in traffic.

A nonroad engine built on the chassis of a car shall not be deemed a vehicle referred to in subsection 1 if it is a vehicle of category N2 or N3 equipped with specific equipment meant for work and if it has not been meant for the transportation of any other goods than the tools and equipment necessary for the work.

Regarding taxation, a vehicle which has not been classified in M, N or another vehicle category in the traffic register, shall be deemed to belong to a vehicle category compliant with road traffic legislation according to the quality of the vehicle.

For speed-limited cars, the vehicle tax shall be applied pursuant to that which is provided for passenger cars in this act.

This act shall enter into force on the <day>

of <month> 20 .

33

Act

on amendments to the Car Tax Act

In accordance with the decision of Parliament, section 1 of the Car Tax Act (1482/1994) shall be amended as it is partially laid down in acts

5/2009 and 313/2018, as follows:


Section 1

A car tax shall be collected by the government, as provided for in this act, on passenger cars (category M1), vans (category N1) and buses (category M2) the unladen weight of which is under 1,875 kilogrammes, motorcycles (categories L3 and L4) and other vehicles deemed to belong to category L prior to entering them in the register referred to in the Act on Traffic Services (320/2017) (register) or their commissioning in Finland.

Unless otherwise provided for in this act, the current Vehicles Act (1090/2002) shall be applied to the classification of vehicles and the technical properties of vehicles.

Section 1

A car tax shall be collected by the government, as provided for in this act, on passenger cars (category M1), vans (category N1) and buses (category M2) the unladen weight of which is under 1,875 kilogrammes, speed-limited cars (category T), motorcycles (categories L3 and L4) and other vehicles deemed to belong to category L, prior to entering them in the register referred to in the Act on Traffic Services (320/2017) (register) or their commissioning in Finland.

Unless otherwise provided in this act, what is provided for in the Vehicles Act and by virtue of it, shall be applied to the classification of vehicles and the technical properties of vehicles.

For speed-limited cars, the car tax shall be applied pursuant to that which is provided for passenger cars in this act.


34

Act

on amendments to section 1 of the Fuel Fee Act

In accordance with the decision of Parliament, section 1 of the Fuel Fee Act (1280/2003) shall be amended as follows:


Section 1


For a car using fuel with a lighter tax than that of petrol or diesel oil, a fuel fee shall be paid to the government as provided for in this act.

This act shall be applied to vehicles registered in Finland or in another country or to vehicles which are used but unregistered in Finland

Section 1


For a car using fuel with a lighter tax than that of petrol or diesel oil, a fuel fee shall be paid to the government as provided for in this act.

This act shall be applied to vehicles registered in Finland or in another country or to vehicles which are used but unregistered in Finland

For category T speed-limited cars, the fuel fee shall be applied pursuant to that which is provided for passenger cars in this act.


35

Act

on amendments to section 114 of the Value Added Tax Act

In accordance with the decision of Parliament, section 114, subsection 3 of the Value added Tax Act (1501/1993) shall be amended, as laid down

in the act 962/1998 as follows:


Section 114

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — That which is provided for passenger cars above in subsection 1, paragraph 5 and in subsection 2, shall also be applied to dual-use cars. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Section 114

— — — — — — — — — — — — — What is provided for passenger cars above in subsection 1, paragraph 5 and in subsection 2, shall also be applied to dual-use cars and speed-limited cars modified from a category M1 vehicle referred to in section 14 b of the Vehicles Act. — — — — — — — — — — — — —


Documents

Draft for a government proposal to Parliament on ... · (VVFS 2003:19, Vägverkets föreskrifter om bil ombyggd till traktor samt bil ombyggd till motorredskap klass II). The design