Road damage caused by overloaded trucks
Heavy vehicles – and trucks in particular – impose a burden on the road infrastructure, as there is an exponential relationship between axle load and road damage. While the main factor affecting road repair and maintenance requirements is the number of trucks, trucks with axle loads higher than the legal limit cause a disproportionately high percentage of the damage to the infrastructure. Furthermore, overloading – whether of one or more axles or the whole vehicle – is also likely to have an adverse impact on traffic safety.
When it comes to monitoring road traffic loads, attention is now increasingly focused not only on gross vehicle weight but also on axle and wheel load. The authorities have an appropriate interest in detecting vehicles with excessive axle loads.