World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations

The World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations is a working party (WP.29) [1] of the Sustainable Transport Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). It is tasked with creating a uniform system of regulations, called UN Regulations, for vehicle design to facilitate international trade.

WP.29 was established in June one thousand nine hundred fifty two as the “Working Party of experts on technical requirement of vehicles”, while its current name was adopted in 2000.

The core of the Forum’s work is based around the “1958 Agreement”, formally titled “Agreement concerning the adoption of uniform technical prescriptions for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or be used on wheeled vehicles and the conditions for reciprocal recognition of approvals granted on the basis of these prescriptions” (E/ECE/TRANS/505/Rev.Two, amended on sixteen October 1995). This forms a legal framework wherein participating countries (contracting parties) agree on a common set of technical prescriptions and protocols for type approval of vehicles and components. These were formerly called “UNECE Regulations” or, less formally, “ECE Regulations” in reference to the Economic Commission for Europe. However, since many non-European countries are now contracting parties to the one thousand nine hundred fifty eight Agreement, the regulations are officially entitled “UN Regulations”. [Two] [Three] Each contracting party’s type approvals are recognised by all other contracting parties.

Participating countries Edit

The very first signatories to the one thousand nine hundred fifty eight Agreement include Italy (March 28), Netherlands (March 30), Germany (June Nineteen), France (June 26), Hungary (June 30), Sweden and Belgium. Originally, the agreement permitted participation of ECE member countries only, but in one thousand nine hundred ninety five the agreement was revised to permit non-ECE members to participate. Current participants include European Union and its member countries, as well non-EU UNECE members such as Norway, Russia, Ukraine, Croatia, Serbia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Tunisia, and even remote territories such as South Africa, Australia, Fresh Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia.

As of two thousand sixteen [update] , the participants to the one thousand nine hundred fifty eight Agreement, with their UN country code, were:. [Four]

Most countries, even if not formally participating in the one thousand nine hundred fifty eight agreement, recognise the UN Regulations and either mirror the UN Regulations’ content in their own national requirements, or permit the import, registration, and use of UN type-approved vehicles, or both. The United States and Canada are the two significant exceptions; the UN regulations are generally not recognised and UN-compliant vehicles and equipment are not authorised for import, sale, or use in the two regions, unless they are tested to be compliant with the region’s car safety laws, or for limited non driving use (e.g. car showcase displays). [Five]

Type approval Edit

The one thousand nine hundred fifty eight Agreement operates on the principles of type approval and reciprocal recognition. Any country that accedes to the one thousand nine hundred fifty eight Agreement has authority to test and approve any manufacturer’s design of a regulated product, regardless of the country in which that component was produced. Each individual design from each individual manufacturer is counted as one individual type. Once any acceding country grants a type approval, every other acceding country is obliged to honor that type approval and regard that vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment as legal for import, sale and use. Items type-approved according to a UN Regulation are marked with an E and a number, within a circle. The number indicates which country approved the item, and other surrounding letters and digits indicate the precise version of the regulation met and the type approval number, respectively.

Albeit all countries’ type approvals are legally equivalent, there are real and perceived differences in the rigour with which the regulations and protocols are applied by different national type approval authorities. Some countries have their own national standards for granting type approvals, which may be more stringent than called for by the UN regulations themselves. Within the auto parts industry, a German (E1) type approval, for example, is regarded as a measure of insurance against suspicion of poor quality or an undeserved type approval. [6]

UN Regulations Edit

As of two thousand fifteen [update] , there are one hundred thirty five UN Regulations appended to the one thousand nine hundred fifty eight Agreement; most regulations cover a single vehicle component or technology. A partial list of current regulations applying to passenger cars goes after (different regulations may apply to strenuous vehicles, motorcycles, etc.)

General lighting Edit

R3 — Retroreflecting devices
R4 — Illumination of rear registration plates
R6 — Direction indicators
R7 — Front and rear position lamps, stop lamps and end-outline marker lamps
R19 — Front fog lamps
R23 — Reversing lights
R37 — Filament lamps (bulbs) (See: Automotive lamp types)
R38 — Rear fog lamps
R48 — Installation of lighting and light-signalling devices
R77 — Parking lamps
R87 — Daytime running lamps
R91 — Side marker lamps
R119 — Cornering lamps
R123 — AFS lamps
R128 — LED light sources

Headlamps Edit

R1 – Headlamps emitting an asymmetrical passing rafter and/or a driving rafter, tooled with R2 or HS1 bulbs (superseded by R112, but still valid for existing approvals)
R5 – Sealed Slat headlamps emitting an asymmetrical passing slat and/or a driving rafter
R8 – Headlamps tooled with replaceable single-filament tungsten-halogen bulbs (superseded by R112, but still valid for existing approvals)
R20 – Headlamps emitting an asymmetrical passing rafter and/or a driving plank and tooled with halogen double-filament H4 bulbs (superseded by R112, but still valid for existing approvals)
R31 — Halogen sealed slat headlamps emitting an asymmetrical passing plank and/or a driving plank
R45 — Headlamp cleaners
R98 — Headlamps tooled with gas-discharge light sources
R99 — Gas-discharge light sources for use in approved gas-discharge lamp units of power-driven vehicles (See: Automotive lamp types)
R112 — Headlamps emitting an asymmetrical passing plank and/or a driving rafter and tooled with filament bulbs
R113 — Headlamps emitting a symmetrical passing slat and/or a driving slat and tooled with filament bulbs

Instrumentation/controls Edit

R35 — arrangement of foot controls
R39 — speedometer equipment
R46 — rear-view mirrors
R79 — steering equipment

Crashworthiness Edit

R11 — door latches and door retention components
R13-H — braking (passenger cars)
R13 — braking (trucks and busses)
R14 — safety belt anchorages
R16 — safety belts and restraint systems
R17 — seats, seat anchorages, head restraints
R27 — advance-warning triangles
R42 — front and rear protective devices (bumpers, etc.)
R43 — safety glazing materials and their installation on vehicles
R94 — protection of the occupants in the event of a frontal collision
R95 — protection of the occupants in the event of a lateral collision
R116 — protection of motor vehicles against unauthorized use
R129 — enhanced child restraint systems (ECRS)

Environmental compatibility Edit

R10 — electromagnetic compatibility
R15 — emissions and fuel consumption (superseded by R83, R84 and R101)
R24 — engine power measurement, smoke emissions, engine type approval
R51 — noise emissions
R68 — measurement of the maximum speed
R83 — emission of pollutants according to engine fuel requirements
R84 — measurement of fuel consumption
R85 — electrified drive trains — measurement of the net power and the maximum thirty minutes power of electrified drive trains
R100 — approval of battery electrified vehicles with regard to specific requeriments for the construction, Functional Safety and hydrogen emission. [7]
R101 — measurement of the emission of carbon dioxide and fuel consumption
R117 — rolling sound emissions of tyres

Tyres & wheels Edit

R30 — Tyres for passenger cars and their trailers
R54 — Tyres for commercial vehicles and their trailers
R64 — Improvised use spare unit, run vapid tyres, run flat-system and tyre pressure monitoring
R75 — Tyres for motorcycles/mopeds
R88 — Retroreflective tyres for two-wheeled vehicles
R106 — Tyres for agricultural vehicles
R108 — Retreaded tyres for passenger cars and their trailers
R109 — Retreaded tyres for commercial vehicles and their trailers
R124 — Replacement wheels for passenger cars

The most notable non-signatory to the one thousand nine hundred fifty eight Agreement is the United States, which has its own Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and does not recognise UN type approvals. However, both the United States and Canada are parties to the one thousand nine hundred ninety eight Agreement. UN-specification vehicles and components which do not also serve with the US regulations therefore cannot be imported to the US without extensive modifications. Canada has its own Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, broadly similar to the US FMVSS, but Canada does also accept UN-compliant headlamps and bumpers. It should be noted, however, that the oncoming Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement inbetween Canada and the European Union (likely to be ratified in 2015) could see Canada recognise more UN Regulations as acceptable alternatives to the Canadian regulations. [8] Canada presently applies fourteen of the seventeen ECE main standards as allowable alternatives [ citation needed ] – the exceptions at this point relate to motorcycle controls and displays, motorcycle mirrors, and electronic stability control for passenger cars. [ citation needed ] These three remaining groups will be permitted in Canada by the time the ratification of the trade deal occurs. [ citation needed ]

Self-certification Edit

Rather than a UN-style system of type approvals, the US and Canadian auto safety regulations operate on the principle of self-certification, wherein the manufacturer or importer of a vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment certifies—i.e., asserts and promises—that the vehicle or equipment serves with all applicable federal or Canada Motor Vehicle Safety, bumper and antitheft standards. [9] No prior verification is required by a governmental agency or authorised testing entity before the vehicle or equipment can be imported, sold, or used. If reason develops to believe the certification was false or improper — i.e., that the vehicle or equipment does not in fact conform — then authorities may conduct tests and, if a noncompliance is found, order a recall and/or other corrective and/or punitive measures. Vehicle and equipment makers are permitted to appeal such penalties, but this is a difficult direction. [Ten] Non-compliances found that are arguably without effect to highway safety may be petitioned to skip recall (remedy and notification) requirements for vehicles already produced. [11]

Historically, one of the most conspicuous differences inbetween UN and US regulations was the design and spectacle of headlamps. The Citroën DS shown here illustrates the large differences in headlamps during the 1940-1983 era when US regulations required sealed plank headlamps. [12] [13] It is not presently possible to produce a single car design that fully meets both UN and US requirements at the same time, [14] but it is growing lighter as technology and both sets of regulations evolve. Given the size of the US vehicle market, and differing marketing strategies in North America vs. the rest of the world, many manufacturers produce vehicles in three versions: North American, rest-of-world right-hand drive (RHD) and rest-of-world left-hand-drive (LHD). [14]

The “Agreement concerning the Establishing of Global Technical Regulations for Wheeled Vehicles, Equipment and Parts which can be fitted and/or be used on Wheeled Vehicles”, or one thousand nine hundred ninety eight Agreement, is a subsequent agreement. Following its mission to harmonize vehicle regulations, the UNECE solved the main issues (Administrative Provisions for Type approval opposed to self-certification and mutual recognition of Type Approvals) preventing non-signatory Countries to the one thousand nine hundred fifty eight Agreement to fully participate to its activities.

The one thousand nine hundred ninety eight Agreement is born to produce meta regulations called Global Technical Regulations without administrative procedures for type approval and so, without the principle of mutual recognition of Type Approvals. The one thousand nine hundred ninety eight Agreement stipulates that Contracting Parties will establish, by consensus vote, United Nations Global Technical Regulations (UN GTRs) in a UN Global Registry. The UN GTRs contain globally harmonized spectacle requirements and test procedures. Each UN GTR contains extensive notes on its development. The text includes a record of the technical rationale, the research sources used, cost and benefit considerations, and references to data consulted. The Contracting Parties use their nationally established rulemaking processes when transposing UN GTRs into their national legislation. The one thousand nine hundred ninety eight Agreement presently has thirty three Contracting Parties and fourteen UN GTRs that have been established into the UN Global Registry. [15]

As part of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, the issues of divergent standards in automobile regulatory structure are being investigated. TTIP negotiators are seeking to identify ways to narrow the regulatory differences, potentially reducing costs and spurring extra trade in vehicles. [9]

Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles (OICA) hosts on its web site the working documents from various United Nations pro groups including World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations. [16]

World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations

WP.29 was established in June one thousand nine hundred fifty two as the “Working Party of experts on technical requirement of vehicles”, while its current name was adopted in 2000.

The core of the Forum’s work is based around the “1958 Agreement”, formally titled “Agreement concerning the adoption of uniform technical prescriptions for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or be used on wheeled vehicles and the conditions for reciprocal recognition of approvals granted on the basis of these prescriptions” (E/ECE/TRANS/505/Rev.Two, amended on sixteen October 1995). This forms a legal framework wherein participating countries (contracting parties) agree on a common set of technical prescriptions and protocols for type approval of vehicles and components. These were formerly called “UNECE Regulations” or, less formally, “ECE Regulations” in reference to the Economic Commission for Europe. However, since many non-European countries are now contracting parties to the one thousand nine hundred fifty eight Agreement, the regulations are officially entitled “UN Regulations”. [Two] [Trio] Each contracting party’s type approvals are recognised by all other contracting parties.

Participating countries Edit

As of two thousand sixteen [update] , the participants to the one thousand nine hundred fifty eight Agreement, with their UN country code, were:. [Four]

Type approval Edit

UN Regulations Edit

General lighting Edit

R3 — Retroreflecting devices
R4 — Illumination of rear registration plates
R6 — Direction indicators
R7 — Front and rear position lamps, stop lamps and end-outline marker lamps
R19 — Front fog lamps
R23 — Reversing lights
R37 — Filament lamps (bulbs) (See: Automotive lamp types)
R38 — Rear fog lamps
R48 — Installation of lighting and light-signalling devices
R77 — Parking lamps
R87 — Daytime running lamps
R91 — Side marker lamps
R119 — Cornering lamps
R123 — AFS lamps
R128 — LED light sources

Headlamps Edit

R1 – Headlamps emitting an asymmetrical passing slat and/or a driving plank, tooled with R2 or HS1 bulbs (superseded by R112, but still valid for existing approvals)
R5 – Sealed Slat headlamps emitting an asymmetrical passing slat and/or a driving rafter
R8 – Headlamps tooled with replaceable single-filament tungsten-halogen bulbs (superseded by R112, but still valid for existing approvals)
R20 – Headlamps emitting an asymmetrical passing plank and/or a driving rafter and tooled with halogen double-filament H4 bulbs (superseded by R112, but still valid for existing approvals)
R31 — Halogen sealed rafter headlamps emitting an asymmetrical passing slat and/or a driving plank
R45 — Headlamp cleaners
R98 — Headlamps tooled with gas-discharge light sources
R99 — Gas-discharge light sources for use in approved gas-discharge lamp units of power-driven vehicles (See: Automotive lamp types)
R112 — Headlamps emitting an asymmetrical passing plank and/or a driving plank and tooled with filament bulbs
R113 — Headlamps emitting a symmetrical passing rafter and/or a driving slat and tooled with filament bulbs

Instrumentation/controls Edit

R35 — arrangement of foot controls
R39 — speedometer equipment
R46 — rear-view mirrors
R79 — steering equipment

Crashworthiness Edit

R11 — door latches and door retention components
R13-H — braking (passenger cars)
R13 — braking (trucks and busses)
R14 — safety belt anchorages
R16 — safety belts and restraint systems
R17 — seats, seat anchorages, head restraints
R27 — advance-warning triangles
R42 — front and rear protective devices (bumpers, etc.)
R43 — safety glazing materials and their installation on vehicles
R94 — protection of the occupants in the event of a frontal collision
R95 — protection of the occupants in the event of a lateral collision
R116 — protection of motor vehicles against unauthorized use
R129 — enhanced child restraint systems (ECRS)

Environmental compatibility Edit

R10 — electromagnetic compatibility
R15 — emissions and fuel consumption (superseded by R83, R84 and R101)
R24 — engine power measurement, smoke emissions, engine type approval
R51 — noise emissions
R68 — measurement of the maximum speed
R83 — emission of pollutants according to engine fuel requirements
R84 — measurement of fuel consumption
R85 — electrified drive trains — measurement of the net power and the maximum thirty minutes power of electrified drive trains
R100 — approval of battery electrical vehicles with regard to specific requeriments for the construction, Functional Safety and hydrogen emission. [7]
R101 — measurement of the emission of carbon dioxide and fuel consumption
R117 — rolling sound emissions of tyres

Tyres & wheels Edit

R30 — Tyres for passenger cars and their trailers
R54 — Tyres for commercial vehicles and their trailers
R64 — Improvised use spare unit, run vapid tyres, run flat-system and tyre pressure monitoring
R75 — Tyres for motorcycles/mopeds
R88 — Retroreflective tyres for two-wheeled vehicles
R106 — Tyres for agricultural vehicles
R108 — Retreaded tyres for passenger cars and their trailers
R109 — Retreaded tyres for commercial vehicles and their trailers
R124 — Replacement wheels for passenger cars

Self-certification Edit

Rather than a UN-style system of type approvals, the US and Canadian auto safety regulations operate on the principle of self-certification, wherein the manufacturer or importer of a vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment certifies—i.e., asserts and promises—that the vehicle or equipment serves with all applicable federal or Canada Motor Vehicle Safety, bumper and antitheft standards. [9] No prior verification is required by a governmental agency or authorised testing entity before the vehicle or equipment can be imported, sold, or used. If reason develops to believe the certification was false or improper — i.e., that the vehicle or equipment does not in fact obey — then authorities may conduct tests and, if a noncompliance is found, order a recall and/or other corrective and/or punitive measures. Vehicle and equipment makers are permitted to appeal such penalties, but this is a difficult direction. [Ten] Non-compliances found that are arguably without effect to highway safety may be petitioned to skip recall (remedy and notification) requirements for vehicles already produced. [11]

Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles (OICA) hosts on its web site the working documents from various United Nations experienced groups including World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations. [16]

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