Partial Amendment of Safety Regulations for Road Vehicles with regard to the Expansion of Devices Subject to Reciprocal Recognition Based on the UN/ECE 1958 Agreement on Reciprocal Recognition of Type Approval of Motor Vehicles, etc.

　Partial Amendment of Safety Regulations for Road Vehicles
　with regard to the Expansion of Devices Subject to Reciprocal
　Recognition Based on the UN/ECE 1958 Agreement on
　Reciprocal Recognition of Type Approval of Motor Vehicles, etc.

(Attachment)

June, 2000

Engineering Planning Division,

Vehicle and Component Approvals Division,

Engineering and Safety Department, Road

Transport Bureau, Ministry of Transport

1.　 Background of Amendment

　In order to address to the ever-growing international distribution of motor vehicles and automotive devices in recent years, in November 1998 Japan acceded to the "The UN/ECE 1958 Agreement" on Reciprocal Recognition of Type Approval of Motor Vehicles, etc.. (abbreviated title) (hereinafter referred to as "the Agreement") that aims to promote the harmonization of regulations and reciprocal recognition of approvals. In any contracting parties of the Agreement, those vehicle devices which have received type approval NOTE) according to the approval regulations prescribed for each motor vehicle device based on the Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the "ECE Regulations") are exempted from testing in any other contracting countries where the ECE Regulations are adopted. (See the Referential Material 1.)

NOTE:　 The provision of Article 75-2 of the Road Vehicles Act (Law No.185 of 1951) has allowed the Minister of Transport to designate type of motor vehicle devices. Once those devices have received this type designation, they are exempted from examination with regard to conformity with the Safety Regulations for Road Vehicles at a time when the application for type designation of the whole motor vehicle is submitted.

　　　　At present, 110 ECE Regulations have been established. So far, Japan has adopted 11 regulations covering 19 items as objects subject to reciprocal recognition according to the Agreement. (See the Referential Material 2.)
　　　　With regard to the six devices as enumerated in Section 2, the Ministry of Transport is scheduled to carry out a partial amendment of the Safety Regulations for Road Vehicles (Ministry of Transport Ordinance No.67, 1951) and the Type Designation Regulations for Devices (Ministry of Transport Ordinance No.66, 1998) so that the devices above may become objects subject to reciprocal recognition according to the Agreement.
　　　　As regards the schedule of the adoption of ECE Regulations in the future, the Ministry of Transport has a target to adopt around 30 regulations by the end of the year 2003. To accomplish this target, MOT is planning to adopt about five to six regulations every year from now on. When advancing this work, MOT will select such regulations as objects, starting from those having higher priority, taking into consideration those items receiving strong request at home and abroad, those which have less differences from Japanese regulations and those where the rationalization of examination is easier.

2. Brief Description of Partial Amendment of Safety Regulations for Road Vehicles

　　　　MOT will achieve coordination between the ECE Regulations and the Safety Regulations for Road Vehicles so that the following six devices given below may become objects subject to reciprocal recognition based on the Agreement. They are the External Projections of M1 Vehicles (ECE Regulation No.26), Speedometer (ECE Regulation No.39), Headlamp Cleaners (ECE Regulation No.45), Parking Lamps (ECE Regulation No.77), Rear-view Mirrors of Two-wheeled Motor Vehicles, etc. (ECE Regulation No.81), and Side Marker Lamps (ECE Regulation No.91).

Specifically speaking, the revision will be carried out as follow:

(1) External Projections of M1 Vehicles
In order to achieve coordination with the ECE Regulation No.26, in the case of outward-opening windows provided in passenger motor vehicles with a passenger capacity of less than 10 persons (except two-wheeled motor vehicles with or without sidecar, three-wheeled motor vehicles and snow mobiles), revision shall be made to such effect that these windows will not protrude beyond the most outward surface of the motor vehicle (excluding lighting devices).

　

(2) Speedometer
In order to achieve coordination with the ECE Regulation No.39, as for reading errors of the speedometer, revision shall be made to such effect that the speedometer reading will not be lower than the actual vehicle speed.
Furthermore, at the same time of this revision of the accuracy requirements of the speedometers, revision shall be made to such effect that the accuracy requirements for the tachographs and speed indication devices may become the same as the revised accuracy requirements of the speedometer.

　

(3) Headlamp Cleaners
In order to achieve coordination with the ECE Regulation No.45, in cases where the motor vehicle is equipped with a headlamp cleaner, revision shall be made to such effect that a unit requirement that the device concerned will not hamper any performance of the headlamp be incorporated. In addition, an installation requirement that makes the operation from the driver's seat possible shall be incorporated.

　

(4) Parking Lamps
In order to achieve coordination with the ECE Regulation No.77, in the case of parking lamps to be provided on each side of the motor vehicle, provisions shall be provided. In addition, revision shall be made to such effect that the color of the parking lamps to be provided at the front is white and the color of those to be provided at the rear side is red. As for the color of parking lamps to be provided at each side of the motor vehicle, those in the forward direction of the motor vehicle are white, whereas those in the reverse direction of the motor vehicle are red. (However, in the case of parking lamps which are reciprocally incooperated in the direction-indicator lamp or the side-marker lamp, amber color may be employed.)
Moreover, revision shall be made to such effect that coordination be achieved with regard to the installation and the geometoric visibility requirements of lights as provided for in the ECE Regulation No.48 (Attachment 1).

　

(5) Rear-view Mirrors of Two-wheeled Motor Vehicles, etc.
In order to achieve coordination with the ECE Regulation No.81, in the case of rear-view mirrors to be provided on handle bar type steering-equipped two-wheeled motor vehicles with or without sidecar and three-wheeled motor vehicles where there is no cab which encloses a part or the whole portion of the driver, revision shall be made to such effect that a unit requirement be incorporated that the rear-view mirror will unlikely give injuries to pedestrians, etc. in the event of contact with them.
Moreover, revision shall be made to such effect that coordination be achieved with regard to the installation requirements as provided for in the said ECE Regulation No. 81(Attachment 2).

　

(6) Side-Marker Lamps
In order to achieve coordination with the ECE Regulation No.91, revision shall be made to such effect that the color of the side marker lamps is amber (however, in the case of side marker lamps which are grouped or combined or reciprocally incooperated in with the rear-position lamp, the rear end-outline marker lamp, the rear-fog lamp or the stop lamp, or in the case of side marker lamps which are grouped or has part of the light emitting surface in common with the rear retro-reflector, the color red may be employed).
Moreover, revision shall be made to such effect that coordination be achieved with regard to the geometoric visibility requirements as provided for in the ECE Regulation No.48 (Attachment 3).

3. Brief Description of Partial Amendment of Type Designation Regulations for Devices

　　　　In respect to the devices based on the above six ECE Regulations to be adopted this time, MOT will make the required revision so that they may become objects subject to reciprocal recognition based on the Agreement and they may be added to the list of designated devices as provided for in Article 75-2 of the Road Vehicles Act.

All Rights Reserved, Copyright (C) 2001, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

(1)	External Projections of M1 Vehicles In order to achieve coordination with the ECE Regulation No.26, in the case of outward-opening windows provided in passenger motor vehicles with a passenger capacity of less than 10 persons (except two-wheeled motor vehicles with or without sidecar, three-wheeled motor vehicles and snow mobiles), revision shall be made to such effect that these windows will not protrude beyond the most outward surface of the motor vehicle (excluding lighting devices).

(2)	Speedometer In order to achieve coordination with the ECE Regulation No.39, as for reading errors of the speedometer, revision shall be made to such effect that the speedometer reading will not be lower than the actual vehicle speed. Furthermore, at the same time of this revision of the accuracy requirements of the speedometers, revision shall be made to such effect that the accuracy requirements for the tachographs and speed indication devices may become the same as the revised accuracy requirements of the speedometer.

(3)	Headlamp Cleaners In order to achieve coordination with the ECE Regulation No.45, in cases where the motor vehicle is equipped with a headlamp cleaner, revision shall be made to such effect that a unit requirement that the device concerned will not hamper any performance of the headlamp be incorporated. In addition, an installation requirement that makes the operation from the driver's seat possible shall be incorporated.

(4)	Parking Lamps In order to achieve coordination with the ECE Regulation No.77, in the case of parking lamps to be provided on each side of the motor vehicle, provisions shall be provided. In addition, revision shall be made to such effect that the color of the parking lamps to be provided at the front is white and the color of those to be provided at the rear side is red. As for the color of parking lamps to be provided at each side of the motor vehicle, those in the forward direction of the motor vehicle are white, whereas those in the reverse direction of the motor vehicle are red. (However, in the case of parking lamps which are reciprocally incooperated in the direction-indicator lamp or the side-marker lamp, amber color may be employed.) Moreover, revision shall be made to such effect that coordination be achieved with regard to the installation and the geometoric visibility requirements of lights as provided for in the ECE Regulation No.48 (Attachment 1).

(5)	Rear-view Mirrors of Two-wheeled Motor Vehicles, etc. In order to achieve coordination with the ECE Regulation No.81, in the case of rear-view mirrors to be provided on handle bar type steering-equipped two-wheeled motor vehicles with or without sidecar and three-wheeled motor vehicles where there is no cab which encloses a part or the whole portion of the driver, revision shall be made to such effect that a unit requirement be incorporated that the rear-view mirror will unlikely give injuries to pedestrians, etc. in the event of contact with them. Moreover, revision shall be made to such effect that coordination be achieved with regard to the installation requirements as provided for in the said ECE Regulation No. 81(Attachment 2).

(6)	Side-Marker Lamps In order to achieve coordination with the ECE Regulation No.91, revision shall be made to such effect that the color of the side marker lamps is amber (however, in the case of side marker lamps which are grouped or combined or reciprocally incooperated in with the rear-position lamp, the rear end-outline marker lamp, the rear-fog lamp or the stop lamp, or in the case of side marker lamps which are grouped or has part of the light emitting surface in common with the rear retro-reflector, the color red may be employed). Moreover, revision shall be made to such effect that coordination be achieved with regard to the geometoric visibility requirements as provided for in the ECE Regulation No.48 (Attachment 3).