Commission Directive 2001/11/EC of 14 February 2001 adapting to technical progress Council Directive 96/96/EC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers — functional testing of commercial vehicles' speed limitation device (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2001-02-14
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: approximation of laws, motor vehicle, roadworthiness tests, safety device, speed control

L 48/20

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

17.2.2001

COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2001/11/EC

of 14 February 2001

adapting to technical progress Council Directive 96/96/EC on the approximation of the laws of the
Member States relating to roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers — functional
testing of commercial vehicles' speed limitation device

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 96/96/EC of 20 December
1996 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States
relating to roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their
trailers (1), as amended by Commission Directive 1999/
52/EC (2), and in particular Article 8 thereof,

in road transport and Directive 88/599/EEC concerning
the application of Regulations (EEC) No 3820/85 and
(EEC) No 3821/85 (4). New vehicles will be fitted with
such equipment from the year 2003.

(6)

The provisions of this Directive are in accordance with
the opinion of the Committee for the adaptation to
technical progress of the Directive on motor vehicle
roadworthiness testing established under Article 8 of
Directive 96/96/EC,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

The fitting of road speed limiter (RSL) systems to certain
vehicles in categories M3 and N3 was mandated through
Council Directive 92/6/EEC of 10 February 1992 on the
installation and use of speed limitation devices for
certain
the
of motor
Community (3) for safety, environmental and competi-
tive equalisation reasons. The installation to the vehicles
within the scope of the Directive was implemented by
1 January 1996.

categories

vehicles

in

Directive 96/96/EC does not include a requirement to
carry out functional checking of RSL systems, i.e. the
ability for the device to effectively control the vehicle's
maximum speed.

This amending Directive requires the authorities to carry
out a test
the RSL functions
correctly.

that will ensure that

the speed limiters equipped. For

Today simple, common diagnostic systems are available
that can be used by testing organisations to test the vast
majority of
those
vehicles that are not accessible by such readily available
diagnostic tools, the authorities will need to either make
use of available equipment from the original vehicle
manufacturer or provide for the acceptance of appro-
priate test certification from the vehicle manufacturer or
their franchise organisation.

In the future, periodic verification of the correct func-
tioning of the speed limiter will be facilitated for the
vehicles that are fitted with the new recording equip-
ment (digital tachograph) according to Council Regula-
tion (EC) No 2135/98 of 24 September 1998 amending
Regulation (EEC) No 3821/85 on recording equipment

(1) OJ L 46, 17.2.1997, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 142, 5.6.1999, p. 26.
(3) OJ L 57, 2.3.1992, p. 27.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Article 1

A fourth indent is added to point 7.10 of Annex II to Directive
96/96/EC as follows:

‘— check wherever practical that the set speed of the speed
limitation device conforms to the limits according to
Articles 2 and 3 of Directive 92/6/EEC and that the
speed limitation device prevents vehicles mentioned in
those same Articles
from exceeding those pre-set
values.’

Article 2

Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and
administrative provisions necessary to comply with this
Directive two years after the entry into force of the Directive at
the latest. They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof.

those provisions,

When Member States adopt
they shall
contain a reference to this Directive or be accompanied by
such a reference on the occasion of their official publication.
Member States shall determine how such reference is to be
made.

Member States shall communicate to the Commission the texts
of the provisions of national law that they adopt in the field
governed by this Directive.

Article 3

This Directive shall enter into force on the 20th day following
its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

(4) OJ L 274, 9.10.1998, p. 1.

17.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 48/21

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

Article 4

Done at Brussels, 14 February 2001.

For the Commission

Loyola DE PALACIO

Vice-President