1974L0346 — EN — 01.07.1974 — 000.001 — 1
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►B COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
of 25June 1974
on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to rear-view mirrors for wheeled
agricultural of forestry tractors
(74/346/EEC)
(OJ L 191, 15.7.1974, p. 1)
Corrected by:
►C1Corrigendum, OJ L 226, 18.8.1976, p. 16 (74/346)
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COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
of 25June 1974
on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to
rear-view mirrors for wheeled agricultural of forestry tractors
(74/346/EEC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic
Community, and in particular Article 100 thereof;
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission;Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament(
1);
Having regard to the Opinion of the Economic and Social
Committee(2);
Whereas the technical requirements with which tractors must comply
pursuant to national laws relate, inter alia,to rear-view mirrors;
Whereas these requirements differ from one Member State to another;
whereasitisthereforenecessarythatallMemberStatesadoptthesamerequirementseitherinadditiontoorinplaceoftheirexistingrules,inorderinparticulartoallowtheEECtype-approvalprocedurewhichwasthesubjectofCouncilDirectiveNo74/150/EEC(
3)of4March1974on
the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to thetype-approvalofwheeledagriculturalorforestrytractorstobeappliedin respect of each type of tractor,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:
Article 1
1. ‘Agricultural or forestry tractor'means any motor vehicle, fitted
withwheelsor ►C1endlesstracks ◄andhavingatleasttwoaxles,
the main function of which lies in its tractive power and which isspeciallydesignedtotow,push,carryorpowercertaintools,machineryortrailersintendedforagriculturalorforestryuse.Itmaybeequippedto carry a load and passengers.
2. ThisDirectiveshallapplyonlytotractorsdefinedinthepreceding
paragraph which are fitted with pneumatic tyres and which have twoaxles and a maximum design speed of between 6 and 25 km/h.
Article 2
No Member State may refuse to grant EEC type-approval or national
type-approval of a tractor on grounds relating to rear-view mirrors ifthese satisfy the requirements set out in the Annex.
Article 3
NoMemberStatemayrefusetheregistrationorprohibitthesale,entry
intoserviceoruseoftractorsongroundsrelatingtorear-viewmirrorsifthese satisfy the requirements set out in the Annex.
Article 4
The amendments necessary for adapting to technical progress the
requirements of the Annex shall be adopted in accordance with theprocedurelaiddowninArticle13ofCouncilDirectiveNo74/150/EEC.
(1) OJ No 28, 17. 2. 1967, p. 462/67.
(2) OJ No 42, 7. 3. 1967, p. 620/67.
(3) OJ No L 84, 28. 3. 1974, p. 10.
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Article 5
1. Member States shall put into force the provisions necessary in
ordertocomplywiththisDirectivewithin18months,ofitsnotificationand shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof.
2. MemberStatesshallensurethatthetextsofthemainprovisionsof
nationallawwhichtheyadoptinthefieldcoveredbythisDirectivearecommunicated to the Commission.
Article 6
This Directive is addressed to the Member States.
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ANNEX
1. DEFINITIONS
1.1. ‘Rear-viewmirror'meansanydeviceintendedtogive,withinthefieldof
vision geometrically defined in item 2.5 below, a clear view to the rearwhich,withinreasonablelimits,isnotblockedbycomponentpartsofthetractor or by the occupants of the tractor itself.
1.2. ‘Interiorrear-viewmirror'meansadeviceasdefinedinitem1.1whichis
fitted inside the cab or frame of a tractor.
1.3. ‘Exteriorrear-viewmirror'meansadeviceasdefinedinitem1.1whichis
mounted on any part of the external surface of a tractor.
1.4. ‘Class of rear-view mirror'means all rear-view mirrors having one or
more common characteristics or functions. Interior rear-view mirrors aregrouped in class I, exterior rear-view mirrors in class II.
2. REQUIREMENTS FOR FITTING
2.1.General
2.1.1. Tractors may be fitted with rear-view mirrors of classes I and II only
bearing the EEC type-approval mark laid down in Council Directive No71/127/EEC(
1)of1March1971ontheapproximationofthelawsofthe
Member States relating to the rear-view mirrors of motor vehicles, asamended by the Act of Accession(
2).
2.1.2. Rear-view mirrors must be fixed in such a way that they remain steady
under normal driving conditions.
2.2.Number
Alltractorsshallbeequippedwithatleastoneexteriorrear-viewmirror
fitted to the left side of the tractor in Member States in which trafficdrivesontherightandtotherightsideofthetractorinMemberStatesinwhich traffic drives on the left.
2.3.Position
2.3.1. The exterior rear-view mirror must be so placed that the driver, when
sittingonthedrivingseatinanormaldrivingposition,hasaclearviewofthat part of the road defined in item2.5.
2.3.2. The exterior rear-view mirror must be visible through the portion of the
windscreen that is swept by the windscreen wiper or through the sidewindows if the tractor is fitted with them.
2.3.3. Therear-viewmirrormustnotprotrudebeyondtheexternalbodyworkof
the tractor or the tractor-trailer combination substantially more than isnecessary to obtain the fields of vision laid down in item2.5.
2.3.4. Where the bottomedge of an exterior rear-view m irror is less than 2 m
abovethegroundwhenthetractorisladen,thisrear-viewmirrormustnotproject more than 0 ·20 mbeyond the overall width of the tractor or
tractor-trailer combination measured without rear-view mirrors.
2.3.5. Subject to the requirements of items 2.3.3 and 2.3.4, rear-view mirrors
may project beyond the tractor’s permissible maximum width.
2.4.Adjustment
2.4.1. Any interior rear-view mirror must be adjustable by the driver from his
driving position.
2.4.2. Thedrivermustbeabletoadjusttheexteriorrear-viewmirrorfromwithin
the tractor. The mirror may, however, be locked into position from theoutside.
2.4.3. Therequirementsofitem2.4.2donotapplytoexteriorrear-viewmirrors
which, after being displaced, are returned automatically to their original
(1) OJ No L 68, 22. 3. 1971, p. 1.
(2) OJ No L 73, 27. 3. 1972, p. 14.
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position or can be restored to their original position without the use of
tools.
2.5.Fields of vision
2.5.1. Member States in which traffic drives on the right
Thefieldofvisionofthelefthandexteriorrear-viewmirrormustbesuch
thatthedrivercanseetotherearatleastthatlevelpartoftheroadasfaras the horizon, which is to the left of the plane parallel to the verticallongitudinalmedianplaneandwhichpassesthroughtheleftmostpointofthe overall width of the tractor or tractor-trailer combination.
2.5.2. Member States in which traffic drives on the left
The field of vision of the right hand exterior rear-view mirror must be
suchthatthedrivercanseetotherearatleastthatlevelpartoftheroad,as far as the horizon, which is to the right of the plane parallel to theverticallongitudinalmedianplaneandwhichpassesthroughtherightmostpoint of the overall width of the tractor or tractor-trailer combination.