. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/HKG/23 
8 September 2004  
 
(04-3742) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English 
   
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   HONG KONG, CHINA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   Transport Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special 
Administrative Region 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:         
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:         
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable):    
 New protective helmets to be sold in Hong Kong.  HKHS Code – 6506 1090 
Safety seat belt fitted to motor vehicles to be  sold in Hong Kong.  HKHS Code – 8708 2100 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Updating Standards 
of Approved Protective Helmet, Approved Seat Belts (4 pages, in English) 
6. Description of content:   Requirements for protective helmets and seat belts stipulated in 
the Road Traffic (Safety Equipment) Regulati ons (Cap 374 sub leg. F) enacted since 1984 
were the then prevailing standards recognized  internationally and commonly adopted by 
overseas countries.  Hong Kong, China will upda te these standards laid down in the 
aforesaid regulations.  Manufacturers, agents or importers will need to comply with the 
latest standards with effect from early 2005.  The updated requirements for protective 
helmets and seat belts have wide covera ge of prevailing standards recognized 
internationally and adopted by countries worldwide. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Apart from bringing in new products of protective helmets and safety belts to 
Hong Kong, China, updating of the current st andards of these commodities also helps to 
enhance safety of the users. 
8. Relevant documents:   
(a) Road Traffic (Safety Equipment) Regulations  (Cap 374 sub leg. F) of the Laws of 
Hong Kong; 
(b) British Standard 6658:1985; 
(c) Japanese Industrial Standard JIS T 8133:197 0-2000 for full type protective helmets for 
drivers and passengers of motorcycle; G/TBT/N/HKG/23 
Page 2  
 
(d) Australian Standard AS 1698-1988; 
(e) Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard MVSS 218 (USA) for motorcycle helmets; 
(f) ECE Regulation No. 22 made by the Economic Commission for Europe dated 
1 June 1972 (E/ECE/324-E/ECE/TRANS/505/Rev.1/Add. 21); 
(g) Snell Memorial Foundation.  Standard for Protective Headgear 1970-2000; 
(h) Australian Design Rule 4/03 approved in  Road Vehicle (National Standards) 
Determination No. 2 of  1997 (Australia); 
(i) Technical Standard for Seat Belt and assoc iated test procedure (TRIAS) 31-1994 made 
by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Japan for motor vehicle in Circular of Jisha No. 899 of 1 October 1983 and Circular of Kinshin No. 453 of 
24 August 1971;  and 
Directive 76/541/EEC issued by the European Economic Community dated 28 June 1977. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:  End 2004  
Proposed date of entry into force:  Early 2005 
10. Final date for comments:   15 November 2004 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [    ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
 
Transport Department 
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 
Room 3816, 38/F, 7 Gloucester Road 
Wanchai Hong Kong  Tel:  (852) 2294 2533 Fax:  (852) 2802 9595 
E-mail:  lo_tonia_ly@td.gov.hk