Vehicle regulation

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Vehicle regulations are requirements that automobiles must satisfy in order to be approved for sale or use in a particular country or region. They are usually mandated by legislation, and administered by a government body. The regulations concern aspects such as lighting, controls, crashworthiness, environment protection and theft protection, and might include safety belts or automated features.

Contents

Government regulation in the automotive industry directly affects the way cars look, how their components are designed, the safety features that are included, and the overall performance of any given vehicle. As a result, these regulations also have a significant effect on the automotive business by generally increasing production costs while also placing limitations on how cars are sold and marketed. Automotive regulations are designed to benefit the consumer and protect the environment, and automakers can face stiff fines and other penalties if they are not followed.

investopedia, [1]

History

Some countries have had national regulations for a long time. The first steps toward harmonizing vehicle regulations internationally were made in 1952 when WP.29, a working party of experts on vehicles' technical requirements, was created. This resulted in the 1958 Agreement on uniform conditions of approval and mutual recognition of vehicle approvals, components, and parts. This was one of the first international agreements on vehicle regulation, which initially focused on European countries. The European Union played a role in harmonizing regulations between member states. Later, the 1958 agreement was opened to non-European countries such as Japan, Korea, and Australia.

To join the WP.29, one has to send a letter signed by an important official from their country or regional economic integration organization (REIO) informing the secretariat of WP.29 that they would like to participate in meetings regarding the harmonization of vehicle regulations (United Nations). [2] The next step to participate would be to get the registration form completed by delegates who are also attending the meeting. Other parties such as Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) must be of certified advisory status to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC).

There was a new international agreement in 1998 whose objectives were to improve global safety, decrease environmental pollution and consumption of energy and improve anti‐theft performance of vehicles and related components and equipment through establishing global technical regulations (GTRs) in a Global Registry based on UNECE Regulations or national regulations listed in a Compendium of candidates, GTR harmonizing them at the highest level. In 2000, WP.29 became the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations that is a working party of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

In 1947 the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) was established to reconstruct Europe after the war took place, expand profitable activity, and nourish relationships between European countries and the rest of the nation. With the help of UNECE, it is used as policy dialogue, economic dialogue, and assist countries in their intermingling into the global economy. UNECE attempts to maintain amicable relationships amongst other countries involving transport, trade, statistics, energy, forestry, housing, and land management (UN. ECE). [3] UNECE is multisector that is a tool used to tackle hardships that may arise providing solutions when possible.

Geographical regulations

Table of regulations

Global regulations and their relation with national / regional law

Status of the Agreement, of the Global Registry and of the Compendium of Candidates, Revision 31, UNECE, 16 november2021
Global regulation
number
Global regulation
title
AustraliaCanadaPRCEUIndiaJapanRussiaUS
1Door locks and door retention componentsinto national lawinto national lawTransposition
UN Regulation No.11
into national lawTransposition
UN Regulation No.11
Transposition
1 Am 1Door locks and door retention componentsTransposition
UN Regulation No.11
Transposition
UN Regulation No.11
Transposition
2Measurement procedure for two-wheeled motorcycles (...) with regard to the emission of gaseous pollutants, CO 2 emissions and fuel consumptionRegional law
3Motorcycle brake systemsTransposition
UN Regulation No.78
Transposition
UN Regulation No.78
into national lawTransposition
UN Regulation No.78
Transposition
4(...) natural gas (NG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) (...) the emission of pollutants (WHDC)Transposition
UN Regulation No.49
Transposition
UN Regulation No.49
5on-board diagnostic systems (OBD) for road vehiclesTransposition
UN Regulation No.49
Transposition
UN Regulation No.49
6Safety glazingTransposition
UN Regulation No.43
Transposition
UN Regulation No.43
7Head restraints
8Electronic stability control systemsinto national law with amendments and exemptionstransposed into national law with amendments and exemptionsTransposition
UN Regulation No.13-H
Transposition
UN Regulation No.13-H
9Pedestrian safetyRegional lawinto national lawinto national law
9 Am 1Pedestrian safetyTransposition
UN Regulation No.127
National law
10Off-cycle emissions (OCE)Transposition
UN Regulation No.49
11(...) agricultural and forestry tractors (...) emissions of pollutants by the engineTransposition
UN Regulation No.96
into national law with amendments
12Location, identification and operation of motorcycle controls, tell-tales and indicatorsTransposition
UN Regulation No.60
13hydrogen and fuel cell vehicles
14Pole Side Impact
15Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP)
16Tyres
17Crankcase and evaporative emissions of L-category vehicles
18On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) systems for L-category vehicles
19EVAPorative emission test procedure for the Worldwide harmonized Light vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP EVAP)
20Electric Vehicle Safety (EVS)
21Determination of Electrified Vehicle Power (DEVP)

Specific national / regional regulations

UNECE
Flag of Europe.svg Europe [7] and EU laws [8]
Flag of the United States.svg USA [9] Flag of the United Nations.svg Global [10] Flag of India.svg India [11] Flag of Japan.svg Japan Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia Flag of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.svg Gulf
Doors UN R11FMVSS 206GTR 1IS 14225GSO 419/1994, GSO 420/1994
Steering wheel UN R12FMVSS 203, FMVSS 204AIS-096GB 11557-2011
Seat belts UN R14FMVSS 209AIS-015GSO 96/1988, GSO 97/1988
Child restraint system UN R44, R129FMVSS 213AIS-072JIS D 040122000GB 14166-2013KMVSS 103-2AS/NZS 1754:2013; AS/NZS 3629:2013GSO 1709/2005, GSO 1710/2005
Head restraints UN R17FMVSS 202aGTR 7IS 15546GSO 1598/2002
Seats UN R17, UN R80AIS-016, AIS-023
Occupant head impactUN R21FMVSS 201IS 15223Art. 20GB 11552-2009KMVSS 88ADR 21
Rear impactUN R32, UN R34FMVSS 202a, FMVSS 301AIS-101Art. 15‐J017‐01GB 20072-2006GSO 37/2012
Bumper impact UN R42FMVSS 581AIS-006GB 17354-1998GSO 41/2007
Side windowsUN R43FMVSS 205, FMVSS 226 GTR 6
Rollover FMVSS 208
Roof strength UN R66FMVSS 216, FMVSS 216aAIS-031GB 26134-2010GSO 39/2005
Offset frontal impactUN R94 FMVSS 208 AIS-098Art. 18GB/T 20913-2007KMVSS 102ADR 73/00GSO 36/2005
Side impact - moving barrierUN R95FMVSS 214GTR 14AIS-099Art. 18 Attachmt. 24GB 20071-2006KMVSS 102ADR 72/00GSO 1707/2005, GSO 1708/2005
Pedestrian protectionUN R127, EC R78/2009, EC R631/2009GTR 9AIS-100Art. 18 Attachmt. 99GB/T 24550-2009KMVSS 102-2
Side pole impactUN R135FMVSS 214GTR 14Art. 18GB/T 37337/2019KMVSS 102-4ADR 85/00
Side door intrusion / Side door strengthFMVSS 214IS 12009ADR 29/00GSO 38/2005
Full frontal impactUN R137 FMVSS 208 AIS-096Art. 18 Attachmt. 23GB 11551-2014KMVSS 102-3ADR 69/00GSO 36/2005
Sleeper coaches AIS-119
Vehicle interior noise(proposal)49 CFR 393.94IS-12832
Vehicle exterior noise (noise pollution)UN R9, UN R41, UN R51, UN R6340 CFR 205.52Environment (Protection) Amendment Rules
Electric vehicle warning sounds (AVAS)Regulation 540/2014, UN R138FMVSS 141
Motorcycle helmets UN R22FMVSS 218IS 4151JIS T 8133:2000AS/NZS 1698
Automotive lights FMVSS 108
Front underrun protectionUN R93AIS-069
Rear underrun protectionUN R58FMVSS 223, FMVSS 224IS 14812
Lateral protection devicesUN R73IS 14682
Truck cabsUN R29AIS-029
ABS UN R8 (motorcycles)
Speed limitationUN R89
Airbag UN 114 & UN R94 FMVSS 208
Replacement wheelsUN R124
ESC UN R140 FMVSS 126
TPMS UN R141 FMVSS 138
AECS (eCall)UN R144
Blind Spot Information System UN R151
AEB UN R152, UN R131
ALKS UN R157

Other shared regulations

UNECE regulations

Countries participating in the (1958 agreement) World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations.svg
Countries participating in the (1958 agreement) World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations

Japan applies and is a member of the following UNECE regulations [12]

  • 3, approval of retro-reflecting devices for power-driven vehicles and their trailers
  • 4, illumination of rear registration plates of power-driven vehicles and their trailers
  • 6, approval of direction indicators for power-driven vehicles and their trailers
  • 7, front and rear position lamps, stop-lamps and end-outline marker lamps for motor vehicles and their trailers
  • 10, electromagnetic compatibility
  • 11, door latches and door retention components
  • 12, protection of the driver against the steering mechanism in the event of impact
  • 13, braking
  • 14, safety-belt anchorages
  • 16, various safety belt related considerations
  • 17, seats, their anchorages and any head restraints
  • 19, front fog lamps
  • 21, interior fittings
  • 23, reversing and manoeuvring lamps for power-driven vehicles and their trailers
  • 25, head restraints (headrests), whether or not incorporated in vehicle seats
  • 26, external projections
  • 27, advance-warning triangles
  • 28, audible warning devices and of motor vehicles with regard to their audible warning signals
  • 30, pneumatic tyres for motor vehicles and their trailers
  • 34, prevention of fire risks
  • 37, filament light sources for use in approved lamps of power-driven vehicles and of their trailers
  • 38, rear fog lamps for power-driven vehicles and their trailers
  • 39, speedometer and odometer equipment including its installation
  • 41, motor cycles with regard to noise
  • 43, safety glazing materials and their installation on vehicles
  • 44, Child Restraint Systems
  • 45, headlamp cleaners, and of power-driven vehicles with regard to headlamp cleaners
  • 46, devices for indirect vision and of motor vehicles with regard to the installation of these devices
  • 48, installation of lighting and light-signalling devices
  • 50, front position lamps, rear position lamps, stop lamps, direction indicators and rear-registration-plate illuminating devices for vehicles of category L
  • 51, motor vehicles having at least four wheels with regard to their sound emissions
  • 54, pneumatic tyres for commercial vehicles and their trailers
  • 58, Rear underrun ...
  • 60, two-wheeled motor cycles and mopeds with regard to driver-operated controls including the identification of controls, tell-tales and indicators
  • 62, power-driven vehicles with handlebars with regard to their protection against unauthorized use
  • 64, vehicles with regard to their equipment which may include: a temporary use spare unit, run flat tyres and/or a run flat system and/or extended mobility tyres
  • 66, large passenger vehicles with regard to the strength of their superstructure
  • 70, rear marking plates for heavy and long vehicles
  • 75, pneumatic tyres for L-category vehicles
  • 77, parking lamps for power-driven vehicles
  • 78, vehicles of categories L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5 with regard to braking
  • 79, steering equipment
  • 80, seats of large passenger vehicles and of these vehicles with regard to the strength of the seats and their anchorages
  • 81, rear-view mirrors of two-wheeled power-driven vehicles
  • 85, internal combustion engines or electric drive trains intended for the propulsion of motor vehicles of categories M and N with regard to the measurement of the net power and the maximum 30 minutes power of electric drive trains

OECD regulations

European union follows OECD regulations for tractors, for instance:

  • code 6: structures de protection montées à l'avant des tracteurs agricoles et forestiers [à voie étroite, [13]
  • code 7: structures de protection montées à l'arrière des tracteurs agricoles et forestiers à voie étroite. [14]

Bilateral agreements

Some trade agreements such as the EU-South Korea Free Trade Agreement may contain reference to a matching mapping of local requirements, for instance such mappings exists in appendix 2-C of the EU-South Korea Free Trade Agreement. [15] [16]

Example of differences

Vehicles meeting EU standards offer reduced risk of serious injury in frontal/side crashes and have driver‐side mirrors that reduce risk in lane-change crashes better, while vehicles meeting US standards provide a lower risk of injury in rollovers and have headlamps that make pedestrians more conspicuous.

Carol A. Flannagan, Andrée Bélint, ..., Comparing motor-vehicle crash risk of EU and US vehicles, 1 January 2015 [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Economic Commission for Europe</span> U.N. Commission for economic cooperation among its member states

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe is one of the five regional commissions under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It was established in order to promote economic cooperation and integration among its member states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automotive safety</span> Study and practice to minimize the occurrence and consequences of motor vehicle accidents

Automotive safety is the study and practice of automotive design, construction, equipment and regulation to minimize the occurrence and consequences of traffic collisions involving motor vehicles. Road traffic safety more broadly includes roadway design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bumper (car)</span> Structure at front and rear ends of a car

A bumper is a structure attached to or integrated with the front and rear ends of a motor vehicle, to absorb impact in a minor collision, ideally minimizing repair costs. Stiff metal bumpers appeared on automobiles as early as 1904 that had a mainly ornamental function. Numerous developments, improvements in materials and technologies, as well as greater focus on functionality for protecting vehicle components and improving safety have changed bumpers over the years. Bumpers ideally minimize height mismatches between vehicles and protect pedestrians from injury. Regulatory measures have been enacted to reduce vehicle repair costs and, more recently, impact on pedestrians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amber (color)</span> Color term midway between the colors of gold and orange

The color amber is a pure chroma color, located on the color wheel midway between the colors of yellow and orange. The color name is derived from the material also known as amber, which is commonly found in a range of yellow-orange-brown-red colors; likewise, as a color amber can refer to a range of yellow-orange colors. In English, the first recorded use of the term as a color name, rather than a reference to the specific substance, was in 1500.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vienna Convention on Road Traffic</span> International treaty

The Convention on Road Traffic, commonly known as the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, is an international treaty designed to facilitate international road traffic and to increase road safety by establishing standard traffic rules among the contracting parties. The convention was agreed upon at the United Nations Economic and Social Council's Conference on Road Traffic and concluded in Vienna on 8 November 1968. It came into force on 21 May 1977. This conference also produced the Convention on Road Signs and Signals. The convention had amendments on 3 September 1993 and 28 March 2006. There is a European Agreement supplementing the Convention on Road Traffic (1968), which was concluded in Geneva on 1 May 1971.

The New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) was a driving cycle, last updated in 1997, designed to assess the emission levels of car engines and fuel economy in passenger cars. It is also referred to as MVEG cycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daytime running lamp</span> Vehicle lights

A daytime running lamp is an automotive lighting and bicycle lighting device on the front of a roadgoing motor vehicle or bicycle, automatically switched on when the vehicle's handbrake has been pulled down, when the vehicle is in gear, or when the engine is started, emitting white, yellow, or amber light. Their intended use is not to help the driver see the road or their surroundings, but to help other road users identify an active vehicle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automotive lighting</span> Lighting system of a motor vehicle

A motor vehicle has lighting and signaling devices mounted to or integrated into its front, rear, sides, and, in some cases, top. Various devices have the dual function of illuminating the road ahead for the driver, and making the vehicle visible to others, with indications to them of turning, slowing or stopping, etc., with lights also indicating the size of some large vehicles.

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 regulates all automotive lighting, signalling and reflective devices in the United States. Like all other Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, FMVSS 108 is administered by the United States Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Type approval or certificate of conformity is granted to a product that meets a minimum set of regulatory, technical and safety requirements. Generally, type approval is required before a product is allowed to be sold in a particular country, so the requirements for a given product will vary around the world. Processes and certifications known as type approval in English are often called homologation, or some cognate expression, in other European languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations</span> Working party

The World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations is a working party (WP.29) of the Inland Transport Committee (ITC) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Its responsibility is to manage the multilateral Agreements signed in 1958, 1997 and 1998 concerning the technical prescriptions for the construction, approval of wheeled vehicles as well as their Periodic Technical Inspection and, to operate within the framework of these three Agreements to develop and amend UN Regulations, UN Global Technical Regulations and UN Rules, kind of vehicle regulation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selective yellow</span> Colour for automotive lamps

Selective yellow is a colour for automotive lamps, particularly headlamps and other road-illumination lamps such as fog lamps. Under ECE regulations, headlamps were formerly permitted to be either white or selective yellow—in France, selective yellow was mandatory for all vehicles' road-illumination lamps until 1993.

Brake assist or emergency brake assist (EBA) is a term for an automobile braking technology that increases braking pressure in an emergency. The first application was developed jointly by Daimler-Benz and TRW/LucasVarity. Research conducted in 1992 at the Mercedes-Benz driving simulator in Berlin revealed that more than 90% of drivers fail to brake with enough force when faced with an emergency.

The European integrated Hydrogen Project (EIHP) was a European Union project to integrate United Nations Economic Commission for Europe guidelines and create a basis of ECE regulation of hydrogen vehicles and the necessary infrastructure replacing national legislation and regulations. The aim of this project was enhancing of the safety of hydrogen vehicles and harmonizing their licensing and approval process.

A vehicle category classifies a land vehicle or trailer for regulatory purposes.

Motor vehicle type approval is the method by which motor vehicles, vehicle trailers and systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles achieve type approval in the European Union (EU). There is no EU approval body: authorized approval bodies of member states are responsible for type approval, which will be accepted in all member states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automated emergency braking system</span>

The World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations define AEBS. UN ECE regulation 131 requires a system which can automatically detect a potential forward collision and activate the vehicle braking system to decelerate a vehicle with the purpose of avoiding or mitigating a collision. UN ECE regulation 152 says deceleration has to be at least 5 metres per second squared.

The Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) is a global standard for determining the levels of pollutants, CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of traditional and hybrid cars, as well as the range of fully electric vehicles.

Emergency Assist is a driver assistance system that monitors driver behavior by observing delays between the use of the accelerator and the brake; once a preset threshold of time has been exceeded the system will take control of the vehicle in order to bring it to a safe stop.

References

  1. "How Does Government Regulation Affect the Automotive Sector?".
  2. "World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29)". United Nations Digital Library System. 2019.
  3. "FAQ - Transport - UNECE". www.unece.org. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
  4. Bailey, R. Sadler (2018-10-31). "The "New NAFTA" and its Effects on Safety and the Environment". Bailey & Greer. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  5. Infrastructure. "Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 4/05 - Seatbelts) 2012". www.legislation.gov.au. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  6. Rheinl, TÜV; Japan (24 November 2015). "Electric Cars: The Role of Standards in Japan and Abroad - Japan Industry News" . Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  7. "Regs 1-20 - Transport - UNECE". Archived from the original on 2018-11-24. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
  8. the column contains few non UN regulations
  9. "Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations". one.nhtsa.gov. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  10. "Global Technical Regulations (GTRs) | UNECE". unece.org. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  11. "Automotive Research and Development, Automotive Service Provider, India, Vehicle Type Certification, Automotive Testing and Calibration, Vehicle Design Labs, Advanced Automotive Design Standards, Automotive Engineering Course".
  12. "World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations. 2020" (PDF). UNECE. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  13. OCDE codes. Tracteurs code OECD (in French)
  14. OCDE codes. Tracteurs code OECD (in French)
  15. "Access2Markets EU-South Korea Free Trade Agreement". trade.ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  16. Appendix 2-C Official Journal of the European Union
  17. Flannagan, Carol A.; b\Ue1Lint, Andr\ue1s; Klinich, Kathleen D.; Sander, Ulrich; Manary, Miriam A.; Cuny, Sophie; McCarthy, Michael; Phan, Vuthy; Wallbank, Caroline; Green, Paul E.; Sui, Bo; Forsman, \uc5sa; Fagerlind, Helen (2018). "Comparing motor-vehicle crash risk of EU and US vehicles". Accident Analysis and Prevention. 117: 392–397. doi: 10.1016/j.aap.2018.01.003 . PMID   29482897. S2CID   3587667.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)