Amendments Associated with Adopted Provisions of the Agreement

1. Background

In order to promote Global Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations and Reciprocal Recognition of Approvals while maintaining our nation’s safety and environment standards level, Japan acceded to UN/ECE Agreement on Reciprocal Recognition of Type Approval of Motor Vehicles, etc. (hereinafter referred to as the Agreement on Reciprocal Recognition) in 1998, and has phased in so far the regulations based on the Agreement on Reciprocal Recognition (hereinafter called as the Agreement Regulations).

Recently, so as to improve further vehicle safety for motor vehicles, the revised proposals for the Agreement Regulations, including “the Agreement Regulations on direction indicators (Regulation No.6)”, have been adopted at the 149th session of the UN/ECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP29) and are scheduled to come into effect as such amendments on 19th August, 2010, after the Agreement-defined procedures for amending regulations

In response to those, the Notification prescribing detailed items concerning the security standard for road trucking vehicles (MLIT Notification No.1113, 2002) has needed to be amended.

2. Outline of Amendment

Amendments associated with adopted provisions of the Agreement

Regulations

① Direction indicator (regarding Article 59 and Annex 73 of the Notification of detailed items)

In accordance with the amendment of “the Agreement Regulations on direction indicators (Regulation No.6)”, the Notification shall amend as follows.

[Scope of Application]

○ The scope shall apply to direction indicators installed on motor vehicles exclusively provided for both passenger and trucking use. (remaining unchanged as heretofore)

[Amended Outline]

○ A simplified application shall be intended to the effect that the Notification shall unify the separate regulations which there are in force, between a single lamp (one light source) and grouped lamps (multiple light sources), in terms of maximum luminous intensity, to specify maximum luminous intensity of the grouped lamps as a reference value.

[Time of Application]

○ The amendment shall apply at the date of enforcement (to motor vehicles that will be newly type approved).

② Front and rear position (side) lamps, stop lamp, auxiliary stop lamp, end-outline marker lamps (front-top and rear-top outer end lamps) (regarding Annex 58, 59, 64, 67, 70,71 of the Notification of detailed items)

In accordance with the amendment of “the Agreement Regulations on front and rear position (side) lamps, stop lamps, auxiliary stop lamps, end-outline marker lamps (front-top and rear-top outer end lamps) (Regulation No.7)”, the Notification shall amend as follows.

[Scope of Application]

○ The scope shall apply to front and rear position (side) lamps, stop lamps, auxiliary stop lamps, end-outline marker lamps (front-top and rear-top outer end lamps) installed on motor vehicles. (remaining unchanged as heretofore)

[Amended Outline]

○ A simplified application shall be intended to the effect that the Notification shall unify the separate regulations which there are in force, between a single lamp and grouped lamps with multiple light sources, in terms of maximum luminous intensity, to specify maximum luminous intensity of the grouped lamps as a reference value.

[Time of Application]

○ The amendment shall apply at the date of enforcement (to motor vehicles that will be newly type approved).

③ Front fog lamp (regarding Article 43 of the Notification of detailed items)

In accordance with the amendment of “the Agreement Regulations on front fog lamps (Regulation No.19)”, the Notification shall amend as follows.

[Scope of Application]

○ The scope shall apply to front fog lamps installed on motor vehicles. (remaining unchanged as heretofore)

[Amended Outline]

○ Regarding luminous intensity the requirements of which apply to lamps in the asymmetrical lighting arrangements, the photometric measurements are allowed to conduct at two measuring points for the right side lamp and left side lamp, respectively, and the judgment is justified at the criterion of half of the measured values combined from both sides of lamps in the Notification in force, and the Notification shall add two more measuring points for both sides of lamps.

○ The voltage for heat test, whose value has varied by light source (bulb type, gas-discharge type, LED module type), shall be unified to be either 13.2V or a voltage determined by manufacturers and such, for all types of light source.

○ The testing method for the light source used for heat test shall specify that the warm-up lighting time of light source, which is not regulated under the Regulation in force, is more than 1 hour for bulb type, more than 15 hours for gas-discharge type, and 48 hours for LED module type.

[Time of Application]

○ The amendment shall apply at the date of enforcement (to motor vehicles that will be newly type approved).

④ Headlamp and other related material (regarding Article 42 and Annex 55, 56 of the Notification of detailed items,)

In accordance with the amendment of “the Agreement Regulations on headlamp cleaners (Regulation No.45)”, “the Agreement Regulations on headlamps (gas-discharge type) (Regulation No.98)”, “the Agreement Regulations on headlamps (bulb type and LED module type) (Regulation No.112)”, “the Agreement Regulations on adaptive front-lighting system headlamps (Regulation No.123)”, the Notification shall amend as follows.

[Scope of Application]

○ The scope shall apply to headlamps installed on motor vehicles (excluding motor vehicles of less than 20kmh maximum speed, excluding motor vehicles for such special use as in snow removal, construction for civil engineering and other special applications which chiefs of district traffic bureau designate, excluding heavy special motor vehicle of less than 35kmh maximum speed, excluding motorcycle and motorcycle with sidecar, excluding small special farm motor vehicle and light motor vehicle having caterpillar wheel or sledge) (remaining unchanged as heretofore).

[Amended Outline]

○ The testing method for the light source used for heat test shall specify that the warm-up lighting time of light source, which is not regulated under the regulation in force, be more than 1 hour for bulb type, more than 15 hours for gas-discharge type, and 48 hours for LED module type.

○ The light source of passing lamp which is only for use in the passing signal and prescribed in the Agreement Regulations No.98 shall be specified to be exempt from heat test.

[Time of Application]

○ The amendment shall apply at the date of enforcement. (to motor vehicles that will be newly type approved)

‧ Headlamp cleaner

[Scope of Application]

○ The scope shall apply to headlamp cleaners installed on motor vehicles. (remaining unchanged as heretofore)

[Amended Outline]

○ In the case that the headlamp subject to cleaning is one in the adaptive front-lighting system, such headlamp shall be specified to conduct a cleaning efficiency test at the standard condition.(where the luminous distribution is not changed from default)

○ In the case that the headlamp subject to cleaning is one in the bend lighting system, but not used in the adaptive front-lighting system, such headlamp shall be specified to conduct a cleaning efficiency test at the standard condition.

[Time of Application]

○ The amendment shall apply at the date of enforcement. (to motor vehicles that will be newly type approved)

⑤ Installation of lighting and light-signaling devices (regarding Article 43~59, 61, 61-2 and Annex 52 of the Notification of detailed items,)

In accordance with the amendment of “the Agreement Regulations on installation of lighting and light-signaling devices (Regulation No.48)”, the Notification shall amend as follows.

[Scope of Application]

○ The scope shall apply to motor vehicles (excluding motorcycle, motorcycle with sidecar and light motor vehicle having caterpillar wheel or sledge) (remaining unchanged as heretofore).

[Time of Application]

○ The amendment shall apply at the date of enforcement. (to motor vehicles that will be newly type approved)

[Amended Outline]

○ Regarding the installation position in height of retro-reflectors, the reflector is indicated to be installed less than 900mm above ground in accordance with the Regulation in force, and it may be allowed to be less than 1200mm above ground in case of grouped lamps.

○ Regarding the installation position in height of side retro-reflectors, it may be allowed to be less than 1500mm above ground in case of the motor vehicles not falling into those (passenger vehicles with overall length of more than 6m, passenger vehicles with overall length of less than 6m to be used as a tractor and a trailer, pole trailers) mandatory for the installation.

○ Regarding the installation position of side retro-reflectors or side marker lamps, installed on motor vehicles (carrying capacity of less than 10 passengers) exclusively for passenger use with the overall length ranging from 6m to 7m, at least one side retro-reflector or side marker lamp is indicated to be installed to the middle third of the vehicle side, the foremost side retro-reflector or side marker lamp being not farther than 3m off the point according to the Regulation in force, but additional side retro-reflectors or side marker lamps may be allowed to be installed within 3m of the front end and within a third of the overall length of the rear end of the vehicle.

○ Regarding the installation position of side marker lamps, the requirements of within 400m of the extreme outer edge of the vehicle shall be repealed, and instead one side marker lamp shall have only to be installed on each side of the median longitudinal plane of the vehicle.

[Time of Application]

○ The amendment shall apply at the date of enforcement. (to motor vehicles that will be newly type approved)

⑥ With regard to Other Agreement Regulations including “the Agreement Regulations on the steering mechanism (Regulation No.12)”, the formal amendments have been enforced, in response to this, the domestic laws and ordinances are going to be amended likewise.