ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (74)1228
Vol.1974/0197

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COMMISSION CETH2mOïBAN CGMMOMTJ
COM(74)1228 final
Brussels,26July1974
Proposalfora
CONSEILDIRECTIVE Ti!
ontheapproximation ofMemberStates*Lawsonthe
Reverseand.theSpeedometer ofMotorVehicles
(submittedtotheCouncilbytheCommission)
COM(74)1228final

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
[This proposed Directive istoform part oftheCommunity type­
^pproval ^procedure referred toinCouncil Directive 70/15^/CEEof6Fe­
bruary 1^70 (1).
I
yjheproposal concerns therequirement imposing areversing device
forvehicles ,themaximum permissible weight ofwhich ,exceeds 400kg
and thetechnical requirements for thedesign andtesting ofthespeedo­
meter *
fhepart concerning thereverse isbased onthe Convention on
Road Transport (Vienna -8November 1968 )which provided fortheobliga­
tory fitment ofthis device onallvehicles having amaximum permissible ;
weight exceeding kOOkg;thepart concerning thespeedometer covers the
overall accuracy oftheinstrument asfitted onthevehicle ,talcing account
not only oftheinstrument itself ,but equally ,thecomponents through
which itoperates and thenormal tyres with which thevehicle isfitted .
The Directive isapplicable tomotor vehicles with atleast four
wheels and amaximum design speed exceeding 25km/h(Article 1).
Article 2incorporates therequirements forsuch areverse and
speedometer into the EEC type-approval procedure .
Itsimilarly comes within theperspective ofthe optional harmonisa­
tion inthesense that itisprovided that theCommunity requirements set
down intheAnnex oftheDirective have the same validity asnational re­
quirement Thus itisnotpossible for aMember State torefuse national
type-approval for avehicle onthegrounds that its equipment andcharac­
teristics ,laid down bytheparticular directive ,will notconform to
thenational requirements ,when they will conform totheCommunity re­
quirements .
Assome newMember States have nonational type-approval procedure
yet ,aspecial article had tobeincluded toensure that vehicles meeting
therequirements ofthedirective (Article 3)could beused inthese
States .
(1)O.J. NoL/42,23February 1970

3
Iftheprototype^is .modrLfied .,theMember State which has approved
itshall decide whether newtests must becarried out (Article ^),
* / ' .V.
Article 5provides for the adaptation ofthespecifications m
theAnnex inline with technical progress ;theprocedure isdefined in
Article 13oftheCouncil Directive of6February 1970 ontheapproval
ofmotor vehicles and their trailers .
Article 6lays down twotime-limits .Before the ;expiry ofthe
first time-limit ,theMember States must adopt andpublish thenecessary
measures tocomply with theDirective .The second time-limit isthedate
onwhich all theMember States must simultaneously apply thecommon rules
'(Article 6(.1))«
Finally ,theCommission must beinformed with reasonable notice
ofanyprovisions theMember States intend totake inthe field covered
bytheDirective ;theinformation ,must besufficient fortheCommission
tobeable tocomment ontheproposed provisions ifnecessary (Article 6
(2)).
CONSULTATION OFTHE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE
.. t ■
Pursuant totheRome Treaty ,Article 100(2 ),theopinion ofthese
twoinstitutions isrequired .

-if-
THECOUNCIL OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard totheTreaty establishing the European Economic Community ,
and inparticular Article 100 thereof ;
Having regard totheproposal from theCommission ;
Having regard totheopinion oftheEuropean Parliament ; ' '
Having regard totheopinion ofthe Economic andSocial Committee ;
Whereas thetechnical requirements which motor vehicles must satisfy pur­
suant tonational laws relate ,inter alia ,tothe reverse and the speedo­
meter ;
Whereas these requirements ,particularly those relative tothespeedometer ,
differ from oneMember State toanother ;whereas itistherefore necessary
that allMember States adopt thesame requirements either inaddition to
orinplace oftheir existing rules ,inorder ,inparticular ,that the
EEC type-approval procedure which was the subject oftheCouncil Directive
of6February 1970 ontheapproximation ofthelaws oftheMember States
relating tothetype-approval ofmotor vehicles andtheir trailers may
beapplied inrespect ofeach type ofvehicle (+);
Whereas thenational legislations relating tomotor vehicles imply mutual
recognition oftheinspections carried outbyeach ofthem onthebasis of
common provisions ;that such asystem inorder tofunction successfully
must beapplied byallMember States With effect from thesame date ;
(+)OJNo.L42,23February 1970 ,p.1

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE :
Article 1
For thepurposes ofthis Directive ,"vehicle "means anymotor vehicle
intended foruse onthe road ,.with orwithout bodywork ,having atleast
four wheels and amaximum design speed exceeding 25km/h,with the
exception ofvehicles which run onrails ,agricultural tractors and
machinery andpublic works vehicles .
Article 2
NoMember State may refuse togrant EECtype-approval ornational type-
approval ofavehicle ongrounds relating tothe reverse and the speedo­
meter ifthese satisfy therequirements setoutintheAnnex tothe
present Directive . ' -
Article 3
NoMember State mayrefuse registration orprohibit thesale orentry
into service oruse ofavehicle ongrounds relating tothereverse or
thespeedometer ifthese satisfy therequirements set outinthe
Annex tothepresent Directive .
Article k
/.• - - _ •• •
The ,Member State which grants type-approval shall take thenecessary
measures toensure that itisinformed ofanymodification ofanyofthe
parts orcharacteristics referred tointheAnnex ,Section 11,2.1 •The
competent authorities ofthat Member State shall determine whether it
isnecessary tocarry outfresh tests onthemodified vehicle type and
toprepare anewreport ..Where such tests reveal failure tocomply
with therequirements ofthis Directive ,th6modification shall not
beauthorized under EECtype-approval .

-6 -
Article 5
The amendments necessary foradjusting therequirements oftheAnnex
soastotake account oftechnical progress shall beadopted inaccor­
dance with theprocedure laid down inArticle 13oftheCouncil Directive
of6February 1970 concerning theapproximation ofMember States laws
concerning thetype-approval ofmotor vehicles and their trailers .
Article 6
1.TheMember States shall adopt andpublish theprovisions necessary
toinsure compliance with thepresent directive before April 1,1976
andinform theCommission immediately .
They shall apply these provisions with effect from October 1,1976 .
2*Assoon asthis Directive has been notified ,theMember -States shall
take care toinform theCommission ,insufficient time toenable it
tosubmit itscomments ,ofanydraft laws ,regulations oradministra­
tive provisions which they intend toadopt inthefield covered by
the Directive .
Article 7 ■-.-
This Directive isaddressed tothe Member States .

-7
ANNEX
!• Reverse
Ia1• Allmotor vehicles ofwhich themaximum authorized weight
exceeds ^fOOkgsnail beprovided with adevice forreversing
which canbeoperated from thedriving position .
IIa .Speedometer >
II.1.
Allmotor vehicles ofcategories M1andN1(+)shall bepro-
vxded with aspeedometer .The fitment ofthis device on
motor vehicles ofother Categories isoptional .
11,2 ., Definitions ■
For thepurpose ofthis directive 5
11a2«1» "Vehicle type "with regard tothespeedometer ,means acate­
gory ofmotor vehicles which donotdiffer insuch essential
respects ast
II.2.1.1a maximum permissible weight onthedriving axle
II„2.1a2 .tyres normally fitted
II.2.1.3a overall transmission ratio including reduction drive if
fitted (.number ofrevolutions atthe entry ofthe device
per onewheel ,revolution onstraight line ) '
IIa2«1a^a gear ratio ofthereduction drive ,iffitted
II.2«1«5a ratio ofthespeedometer itself (metres travelled bythe
vehicle foronerevolution attheentry ofthedevice )
IIa2a1a6a mrke(s )andtype(s )ofspeedometer
IIa2a2a "tyres normally fitted "means the type ortypes oftyre
provided bythemanufacturer onthevehicle type considered
andspecified onthe information ,docaiiieut ofthedi- •■
rective relative tothereception ofthemotor vehicles
and their trailers .
IIa2a3• "normal running pressure "means thepressure reaohed in
average conditions ofnormal road use .This pressure shall
beconsidered tobeequal tothecold inflation pressure
specified bythevehicle manufacturer increased by0,2bar .
(0Seedefinitions atAnnex I"Information Document "oftheDirective
ofbthFebruary 1970 concerning thetype-approval ofmotor vehicles
(OaJa NoLk2.of23rd February 1970 )a

-8-
II.2.H. "speedometer "means the device intended toindicate to'the
driver the speed ofhis vehicle atanymoment .
II.2.5. "reduction drive "means the gear reduction device fitted
between thepropeller shaft and thespeedometer .
II.3 « Pequest for EEC approval
II.3»1 . The EECapproval request for avehicle type with regard to
aspeedometer shall besubmitted bythe vehicle inanufacturer
orbyhisduly accredited representative .
11.3.2 . Itshall beaccompanied bythefollowing documents intri­
plicate and the following indications :
11.3.2.1 .description ofthevehicle type ,forthepurposes ofthis
directive
11.3.2.2.details oftyres normally fitted
11.3.2.3.ratio ofthespeedometer itself .
11.3.3. Avehicle ,representative ofthevehicle type tobeapproved
shall besubmitted tothe technical service responsible for
conducting the approval tests for the test described in
item II.5below .
II.4. Spécifications
II.4.1 • The speedometer shall besituated inthe driver 'sdirect
field ofvision and themarking onits dial shall beclearly
legible both byday andnight .
II.2. The dial ofthespeedometer shall beuniformly graduated .
Thegraduations shall beof1,2,5or10km/h.Thevalues
ofthespeed ,multiples of20km/h,shall beindicated on
the dial .
II.4.3 . Thechecks for accuracy ofthespeedometer shall becarried
outinaccordance with the following procedure :
11.4.3.1 .Thevehicle isequipped with oneofthetypes oftyre nor­
mally fitted .The test shall berepeated for each ofthe
types ofspeedometer specified bythemanufacturer .
11.4.3.2 .Thevehicle isloaded sothat theload onthedriving axle
would beequal tothemaximum technically permissible
weight onthat axle .

ΙΙ·4·3·3 .
ΙΙ.4.3Λ .
ΙΙ.4.3.5 .
11.4.3.6 .
11.4.3.7 .
ΙΙ.ΔΛ .-5
The temperature inside ofthe vehicle shall' be20+5°C.
During each test thepressure oftyres shall bethenormal
running pressure asdefined inpara .II.2.3.above .
The vehicle istested atthe following three speeds s
bOkm/h,80km/hand120km/hs>r80%ofthemaximum speed
specified bythemanufacturer ,ifthis isinferior to
150km/h.
The test instrumentation used for'measuring the true vehicle
speed (i.e. speed recording fifth wheel )shall beaccurate
to+0,5%, - ."■*
The surface ofthe test track shall beflat ,dry andshall
provide sufficient adhesion . .....
Atthespeeds specified forthe test atItem II.5»3»5' .above ,
andbetween these speeds ,these shall bethefollowing re­
lationship between thespeed indicated onthedial ofthe
speedometer (V1)andtheactual speed (V2):
0^V1-V2<~ +kkm/h.