CELEX: 51974PC1228
Language: en
Date: 1974-07-26
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL DIRECTIVE on the approximation of Member States' Laws on the Reverse and the Speedometer of Motor Vehicles (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (74) 1228
Vol. 1974/0197
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION CE TH2 mOïBAN CGMMOMTJ
                                                       COM(74)1228 final
                                                       Brussels , 26 July 1974
                                  Proposal for a
                                CONSEIL DIRECTIVETi!
                on the approximation of Member States * Laws on the
                 Reverse and. the Speedometer of Motor Vehicles
                 ( submitted to the Council by the Commission )
   COM ( 74 ) 1228 final
 ---pagebreak---                              EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
          [This proposed Directive is to form part of the Community type­
^pproval^ procedure referred to in Council Directive 70/15^/CEE of 6 Fe­
 bruary 1^70 (1 ).
           I
          yjhe proposal concerns the requirement imposing a reversing device
 for vehicles , the maximum permissible weight of which , exceeds 400 kg
 and the technical requirements for the design and testing of the speedo­
 meter *
          fhe part concerning the reverse is based on the Convention on
 Road Transport (Vienna - 8 November 1968 ) which provided for the obliga­
 tory fitment of this device on all vehicles having a maximum permissible;
weight exceeding kOO kg ; the part concerning the speedometer covers the
 overall accuracy of the instrument as fitted on the vehicle , talcing account
not only of the instrument itself , but equally , the components through
which it operates and the normal tyres with which the vehicle is fitted .
         The Directive is applicable to motor vehicles with at least four
wheels and a maximum design speed exceeding 25 km/h ( Article 1 ).
         Article 2 incorporates the requirements for such a reverse and
speedometer into the EEC type-approval procedure .
         It similarly comes within the perspective of the optional harmonisa­
tion in the sense that it is provided that the Community requirements set
down in the Annex of the Directive have the same validity as national re­
quirement       Thus it is not possible for a Member State to refuse national
type-approval for a vehicle on the grounds that its equipment and charac­
teristics , laid down by the particular directive , will not conform to
the national requirements , when they will conform to the Community re­
quirements .
         As some new Member States have no national type-approval procedure
yet , a special article had to be included to ensure that vehicles meeting
the requirements of the directive ( Article 3 ) could be used in these
States .
( 1 ) O.J. No L/42 , 23 February 1970
 ---pagebreak---                                        3
          If the prototype^is. modrLfied ., the Member State which has approved
  it shall decide whether new tests must be carried out ( Article ^),
                                                            * / '  .V.
          Article 5 provides for the adaptation of the specifications m
  the Annex in line with technical progress ; the procedure is defined in
  Article 13 of the Council Directive of 6 February 1970 on the approval
  of motor vehicles and their trailers .
          Article 6 lays down two time-limits .     Before the; expiry of the
  first time-limit , the Member States must adopt and publish the necessary
  measures to comply with the Directive . The second time-limit is the date
  on which all the Member States must simultaneously apply the common rules
' ( Article 6(.1 ))«
          Finally , the Commission must be informed with reasonable notice
  of any provisions the Member States intend to take in the field covered
  by the Directive ; the information , must be sufficient for the Commission
  to be able to comment on the proposed provisions if necessary ( Article 6
  ( 2 )).
  CONSULTATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE
                                            ..   t   ■
          Pursuant to the Rome Treaty , Article 100(2 ), the opinion of these
  two institutions is required .
 ---pagebreak---                                   - if -
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 ; '         '
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee ;
Whereas the technical requirements which motor vehicles must satisfy pur­
suant to national laws relate , inter alia , to the reverse and the speedo­
meter ;
Whereas these requirements , particularly those relative to the speedometer ,
differ from one Member State to another ; whereas it is therefore necessary
that all Member States adopt the same requirements either in addition to
or in place of their existing rules , in order , in particular , that the
EEC type-approval procedure which was the subject of the Council Directive
of 6 February 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States
relating to the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers may
be applied in respect of each type of vehicle (+);
Whereas the national legislations relating to motor vehicles imply mutual
recognition of the inspections carried out by each of them on the basis of
common provisions ; that such a system in order to function successfully
must be applied by all Member States With effect from the same date ;
(+) OJ No . L 42 , 23 February 1970 , p. 1
 ---pagebreak--- HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE :
                                Article 1
For the purposes of this Directive , " vehicle " means any motor vehicle
intended for use on the road ,. with or without bodywork , having at least
four wheels and a maximum design speed exceeding 25 km/h , with the
exception of vehicles which run on rails , agricultural tractors and
machinery and public works vehicles .
                                Article 2
No Member State may refuse to grant EEC type-approval or national type-
approval of a vehicle on grounds relating to the reverse and the speedo­
meter if these satisfy the requirements set out in the Annex to the
present Directive .                                         '    -
                                Article 3
No Member State may refuse registration or prohibit the sale or entry
into service or use of a vehicle on grounds relating to the reverse or
the speedometer if these satisfy the requirements set out in the
Annex to the present Directive .
                                Article k
      /.• -                                   -        _              •• •
The, Member State which grants type-approval shall take the necessary
measures to ensure that it is informed of any modification of any of the
parts or characteristics referred to in the Annex , Section 11,2.1 • The
competent authorities of that Member State shall determine whether it
is necessary to carry out fresh tests on the modified vehicle type and
to prepare a new report .. Where such tests reveal failure to comply
with the requirements of this Directive , th6 modification shall not
be authorized under EEC type-approval .
 ---pagebreak---                                   -6 -
                                Article 5
The amendments necessary for adjusting the requirements of the Annex
so as to take account of technical progress shall be adopted in accor­
dance with the procedure laid down in Article 13 of the Council Directive
of 6 February 1970 concerning the approximation of Member States laws
concerning the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers .
                                Article 6
1 . The Member States shall adopt and publish the provisions necessary
    to insure compliance with the present directive before April 1 , 1976
    and inform the Commission immediately .
    They shall apply these provisions with effect from October 1 , 1976 .
2 * As soon as this Directive has been notified , the Member -States shall
    take care to inform the Commission , in sufficient time to enable it
    to submit its comments , of any draft laws , regulations or administra­
    tive provisions which they intend to adopt in the field covered by
    the Directive .
                                Article 7                     ■ - .-
This Directive is addressed to the Member States .
 ---pagebreak---                                         - 7
                                      ANNEX
!•                Reverse
Ia1 •             All motor vehicles of which the maximum authorized weight
                  exceeds ^fOO kg snail be provided with a device for reversing
                  which can be operated from the driving position .
II a            . Speedometer                                    >
II . 1 .
                  All motor vehicles of categories M1 and N1 (+) shall be pro-
                  vxded with a speedometer .   The fitment of this device on
                  motor vehicles of other Categories is optional .
11,2.,            Definitions ■
                  For the purpose of this directive 5
11a2« 1 »         "Vehicle type " with regard to the speedometer , means a cate­
                  gory of motor vehicles which do not differ in such essential
                  respects as t
II . 2 . 1 . 1a  maximum permissible weight on the driving axle
II„2.1a2 .        tyres normally fitted
II . 2 . 1.3a     overall transmission ratio including reduction drive if
                  fitted (. number of revolutions at the entry of the device
                 per one wheel, revolution on straight line )                   '
IIa2«1a^a        gear ratio of the reduction drive , if fitted
II .2 « 1 « 5a    ratio of the speedometer itself (metres travelled by the
                  vehicle for one revolution at the entry of the device )
IIa2a1a6a        mrke(s ) and type(s ) of speedometer
II a 2 a2 a       " tyres normally fitted " means the type or types of tyre
                 provided by the manufacturer on the vehicle type considered
                  and specified on the information, docaiiieut of the di-   • ■
                  rective relative to the reception of the motor vehicles
                  and their trailers .
II a 2 a 3 •      "normal running pressure " means the pressure reaohed in
                  average conditions of normal road use . This pressure shall
                 be considered to be equal to the cold inflation pressure
                 specified by the vehicle manufacturer increased by 0,2 bar .
(0 See definitions at Annex I " Information Document " of the Directive
       of bth February 1970 concerning the type-approval of motor vehicles
       ( OaJa No L k2. of 23rd February 1970 ) a
 ---pagebreak---                                        - 8 -
II.2.H.          " speedometer " means the device intended to indicate to'the
                 driver the speed of his vehicle at any moment .
II . 2 . 5 .     "reduction drive " means the gear reduction device fitted
                 between the propeller shaft and the speedometer .
II.3 «           Pequest for EEC approval
II.3»1 .         The EEC approval request for a vehicle type with regard to
                 a speedometer shall be submitted by the vehicle inanufacturer
                 or by his duly accredited representative .
11 . 3.2 .       It shall be accompanied by the following documents in tri­
                 plicate and the following indications :
11 . 3 . 2.1 .   description of the vehicle type , for the purposes of this
                 directive
11 . 3 . 2 . 2 . details of tyres normally fitted
11 . 3 . 2 . 3 . ratio of the speedometer itself .
11 . 3 . 3 .     A vehicle, representative of the vehicle type to be approved
                 shall be submitted to the technical service responsible for
                 conducting the approval tests for the test described in
                 item II . 5 below .
II . 4 .         Spécifications
II.4.1 •         The speedometer shall be situated in the driver 's direct
                 field of vision and the marking on its dial shall be clearly
                 legible both by day and night .
II .     2.      The dial of the speedometer shall be uniformly graduated .
                 The graduations shall be of 1 , 2 , 5 or 10 km/h . The values
                 of the speed , multiples of 20 km/h , shall be indicated on
                 the dial .
II.4.3 .         The checks for accuracy of the speedometer shall be carried
                 out in accordance with the following procedure :
11.4.3.1 .       The vehicle is equipped with one of the types of tyre nor­
                 mally fitted . The test shall be repeated for each of the
                 types of speedometer specified by the manufacturer .
11.4.3.2 .       The vehicle is loaded so that the load on the driving axle
                 would be equal to the maximum technically permissible
                 weight on that axle .
 ---pagebreak---                                  - 5
ΙΙ·4·3·3 . The temperature inside of the vehicle shall' be 20 + 5 °C .
ΙΙ.4.3Λ .  During each test the pressure of tyres shall be the normal
           running pressure as defined in para . II . 2 . 3 . above .
ΙΙ.4.3.5 . The vehicle is tested at the following three speeds s
           bO km/h , 80 km/h and 120 km/h s>r 80 % of the maximum speed
           specified by the manufacturer , if this is inferior to
           150 km/h .
11.4.3.6 . The test instrumentation used for' measuring the true vehicle
           speed ( i.e. speed recording fifth wheel ) shall be accurate
           to + 0,5 % ,                              -                ."■ *
11.4.3.7 . The surface of the test track shall be flat , dry and shall
           provide sufficient adhesion .                          .....
ΙΙ.ΔΛ .    At the speeds specified for the test at Item II.5»3»5'. above ,
           and between these speeds , these shall be the following re­
           lationship between the speed indicated on the dial of the
           speedometer ( V1 ) and the actual speed ( V2 ) :
                   0 ^ V1-V2<~ + k km/h .