Vehicle regulation


Vehicle regulations are requirements that automobiles must satisfy in order to be approved for sale or use in a particular country or region. They are usually mandated by legislation, and administered by a government body. The regulations concern aspects such as lighting, controls, crashworthiness, environment protection and theft protection, and might include safety belts or automated features.

History

Some countries have had national regulations for a long time. The first steps toward harmonizing vehicle regulations internationally were made in 1952 when WP.29, a working party of experts on vehicles' technical requirements, was created. This resulted in the 1958 Agreement on uniform conditions of approval and mutual recognition of vehicle approvals, components, and parts. This was one of the first international agreements on vehicle regulation, which initially focused on European countries. The European Union played a role in harmonizing regulations between member states. Later, the 1958 agreement was opened to non-European countries such as Japan, Korea, and Australia.
To join the WP.29, one has to send a letter signed by an important official from their country or regional economic integration organization informing the secretariat of WP.29 that they would like to participate in meetings regarding the harmonization of vehicle regulations. The next step to participate would be to get the registration form completed by delegates who are also attending the meeting. Other parties such as Non-Governmental Organizations must be of certified advisory status to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
There was a new international agreement in 1998 whose objectives were to improve global safety, decrease environmental pollution and consumption of energy and improve anti‐theft performance of vehicles and related components and equipment through establishing global technical regulations in a Global Registry based on UNECE Regulations or national regulations listed in a Compendium of candidates, GTR harmonizing them at the highest level. In 2000, WP.29 became the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations that is a working party of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
In 1947 the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe was established to reconstruct Europe after the war took place, expand profitable activity, and nourish relationships between European countries and the rest of the nation. With the help of UNECE, it is used as policy dialogue, economic dialogue, and assist countries in their intermingling into the global economy. UNECE attempts to maintain amicable relationships amongst other countries involving transport, trade, statistics, energy, forestry, housing, and land management. UNECE is multisector that is a tool used to tackle hardships that may arise providing solutions when possible.

Geographical regulations

  • International
  • *United Nations has a World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations related to three vehicle agreements.
  • ** 1998 agreement, global agreement including 38 countries:. In the parties are Japan, Australia, Korea, Russia, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, China, South Africa and the US.
  • ** 1958 agreement, regional agreement including 58 parties: ECE. In the parties are Japan, Australia, Korea, Russia and the European Union and United Kingdom.
  • Regional agreements and regulations
  • * European Union is a single market with the European Economic Area with laws named EU directive or regulation EU regulations which make some UNECE regulations applicable at a given date in its 27 member states.
  • * NAFTA binds Canada, the US, and Mexico to some safety regulations.
  • National
  • *United States: FMVSS, which also administers the Corporate Average Fuel Economy
  • *Canada: CMVSS
  • *China: Guobiao standards
  • *South Korea: KMVSS
  • *Australia: ADR Australia applies some UNECE regulation such as regulation 16 and some FMVS 209 regulation.
  • *Japan: Test Requirements and Instructions for Automobile Standards. As a member of both the 1958 and the 1998 agreement Japan applies 64 regulations from those two set of regulations.
  • *India: AIS, BSES
  • *United Kingdom: inherited EU laws and might comply with some UNECE regulations
  • Provincial/State
  • * California state, United States: CARB

    Table of regulations

Global regulations and their relation with national / regional law

A new global technical regulation has also been proposed based on the accepted Proposal to develop a new UN GTR on Automated Driving Systems submitted by the
representatives of Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America for the generation of the draft UN Global Technical Regulation on ADS. In 2024, this regulation is still under development.

Specific national / regional regulations

Other shared regulations

UNECE regulations

Japan applies and is a member of the following UNECE regulations
  • 3, approval of retro-reflecting devices for power-driven vehicles and their trailers
  • 4, illumination of rear registration plates of power-driven vehicles and their trailers
  • 6, approval of direction indicators for power-driven vehicles and their trailers
  • 7, front and rear position lamps, stop-lamps and end-outline marker lamps for motor vehicles and their trailers
  • 10, electromagnetic compatibility
  • 11, door latches and door retention components
  • 12, protection of the driver against the steering mechanism in the event of impact
  • 13, braking
  • 14, safety-belt anchorages
  • 16, various safety belt related considerations
  • 17, seats, their anchorages and any head restraints
  • 19, front fog lamps
  • 21, interior fittings
  • 23, reversing and manoeuvring lamps for power-driven vehicles and their trailers
  • 25, head restraints, whether or not incorporated in vehicle seats
  • 26, external projections
  • 27, advance-warning triangles
  • 28, audible warning devices and of motor vehicles with regard to their audible warning signals
  • 30, pneumatic tyres for motor vehicles and their trailers
  • 34, prevention of fire risks
  • 37, filament light sources for use in approved lamps of power-driven vehicles and of their trailers
  • 38, rear fog lamps for power-driven vehicles and their trailers
  • 39, speedometer and odometer equipment including its installation
  • 41, motor cycles with regard to noise
  • 43, safety glazing materials and their installation on vehicles
  • 44, Child Restraint Systems
  • 45, headlamp cleaners, and of power-driven vehicles with regard to headlamp cleaners
  • 46, devices for indirect vision and of motor vehicles with regard to the installation of these devices
  • 48, installation of lighting and light-signalling devices
  • 50, front position lamps, rear position lamps, stop lamps, direction indicators and rear-registration-plate illuminating devices for vehicles of category L
  • 51, motor vehicles having at least four wheels with regard to their sound emissions
  • 54, pneumatic tyres for commercial vehicles and their trailers
  • 58, Rear underrun...
  • 60, two-wheeled motor cycles and mopeds with regard to driver-operated controls including the identification of controls, tell-tales and indicators
  • 62, power-driven vehicles with handlebars with regard to their protection against unauthorized use
  • 64, vehicles with regard to their equipment which may include: a temporary use spare unit, run flat tyres and/or a run flat system and/or extended mobility tyres
  • 66, large passenger vehicles with regard to the strength of their superstructure
  • 70, rear marking plates for heavy and long vehicles
  • 75, pneumatic tyres for L-category vehicles
  • 77, parking lamps for power-driven vehicles
  • 78, vehicles of categories L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5 with regard to braking
  • 79, steering equipment
  • 80, seats of large passenger vehicles and of these vehicles with regard to the strength of the seats and their anchorages
  • 81, rear-view mirrors of two-wheeled power-driven vehicles
  • 85, internal combustion engines or electric drive trains intended for the propulsion of motor vehicles of categories M and N with regard to the measurement of the net power and the maximum 30 minutes power of electric drive trains

    OECD regulations

European union follows OECD regulations for tractors, for instance:
Some trade agreements such as the [EU-South Korea Free Trade Agreement may contain reference to a matching mapping of local requirements, for instance such mappings exists in appendix 2-C of the EU-South Korea Free Trade Agreement.

Example of differences