TRANS/WP.29/1045

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UNITED

NATIONS /

E


/ Economic and Social
Council / Distr.
GENERAL
TRANS/WP.29/1045
15 September 2005
ENGLISH
Original: ENGLISH AND FRENCH
ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

INLAND TRANSPORT COMMITTEE

World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29)

SPECIAL RESOLUTION No. 1

CONCERNING THE COMMON DEFINITIONS OF VEHICLE CATEGORIES,
MASSES AND DIMENSIONS (S.R. 1)

Note: The text reproduced below was adopted on 22June2005 by the Executive Committee (AC.3) of the Agreement concerning the establishing of global technical regulations for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or be used on wheeled vehicles (ECE/TRANS/132 and Corr.1). It is based on document TRANS/WP.29/2005/21, as amended by AC.3 at its fourteenth session (TRANS/WP.29/1041, paras.84 and 85).

TRANS/WP.29/1045

page 11

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

PREAMBLE 3

A. STATEMENT OF TECHNICAL RATIONALE AND JUSTIFICATION 4

B. SPECIAL RESOLUTION CONCERNING COMMON DEFINITIONS

AND PROCEDURES TO BE USED IN GLOBAL TECHNICAL

REGULATIONS (S.R. 1) 11

1.  SCOPE 11

2.  GENERAL PROVISIONS 11

3.  SPECIFIC PROVISIONS 12

ANNEXES

Annex 1 General Definitions 13

Annex 2 Categorization of Vehicles 14

Annex 3 Masses 17

Annex 4 Dimensions 19

PREAMBLE

THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE 1998 AGREEMENT,

DESIRING to establish global technical regulations ensuring high levels of safety, environmental protection, energy efficiency and anti-theft performance of Wheeled Vehicles, Equipment and Parts which can be fitted and/or be used on Wheeled Vehicles,

BEARING IN MIND that an Agreement concerning the establishing of global technical regulations for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or be used on wheeled vehicles was opened for signature at Geneva on 25 June 1998,

BEARING IN MIND that global technical regulations will facilitate the trade of wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts with harmonized performance requirements among the Contracting Parties,

BEARING IN MIND that the Executive Committee (AC.3) of the 1998 Agreement has decided to have the set of common definitions as Special Resolution 1 (S.R. 1),

BEARING IN MIND that this S.R. 1 setting forth common definitions to be used in the global technical regulations is necessary for the development of the global technical regulations,

BEARING IN MIND that this resolution shall not alter the regulations of Contracting Parties unless so adopted by the Contracting Party.

RECOMMENDS the Working Parties, in drafting prospective global technical regulations, to use the harmonized definitions for vehicle categories, masses and dimensions contained in this S.R.1.

A. STATEMENT OF TECHNICAL RATIONALE AND JUSTIFICATION

At the one-hundred-and-twentieth session of WP.29, the Government of Japan, through document TRANS/WP.29/2000/39, presented a proposal concerning the necessity of establishing common definitions to facilitate the formulation of future global technical regulations (gtrs), selecting vehicle category, vehicle weight, and vehicle dimension as candidate items requiring a common definition. The necessity of common definitions was unanimously recognized at the WP.29 session and, in October 2000, an informal group was formed under the Working Party on General Safety Provisions (GRSG) and Japan volunteered to chair the effort. This "Common Tasks Group" was assigned to develop global common definitions within two years, which would be presented to WP.29 for approval for use in future gtrs.

This S.R. 1 applies to all wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts falling within the scope of the Agreement Concerning the Establishing of Global Technical Regulation for Wheeled Vehicles, Equipment and Parts, which can be fitted and/or be used on Wheeled Vehicles. The establishment of the definitions of categories, masses and dimensions of vehicles will help to establish gtrs that internationally improve the safety and environmental protection features of automobiles, and that will reduce development and manufacturing costs as well as the cost to consumers.

This resolution does not contain performance requirements as listed under Article 4 of the 1998Agreement, therefore it does not trigger the obligations of Article 7 requiring Contracting Parties to initiate procedures for adopting gtrs.

The first Common Tasks Group meeting was held on 16-17 October 2000, where its future work schedule was approved. The three above-mentioned items of common definition were proposed as high-priority candidate items for drafting future gtrs and were approved, although it was understood that common definitions would not necessarily be confined to those three items. Then, the definitions of vehicle categories, weight, and dimensions of the United States of America, European Union, and Japan were compared on the basis of summary data prepared by the Government of Japan, and the existence of differences in definitions was acknowledged.

There were distinct philosophy differences in vehicle definitions among the regulations of European Union, Japan and the United States of America. As an example, the distinctions between passenger cars and trucks made by Japanese and European Union regulations are based on the quantitative comparisons between the relative accommodations for passengers and cargo in a given vehicle (e.g.,comparisons of passenger mass to cargo mass or passenger space to cargo space). The distinctions between passenger cars and trucks made in the regulations of the United States of America are based on qualitative definitions (e.g., for "transportation of property or special purpose equipment or constructed on a truck chassis or with special features for occasional off-road use"). Specifically, the major differences are as shown in the three tables below:

1.  Summarized Comparison of Vehicle Categories between Japan, Europe and the United States of America

Categories / Japan / Europe / United States of America
Passenger Car / Passengers of 10 or less / Passengers of 9 or less
(M1) / Passengers of 10 or less
(Passenger Car)
(MPV: truck chassis or off-road use)
Bus / Passengers of 11 or more / Passengers of 10 or more
M2:GVM£5t
M3:GVM5t / Passengers of 11 or more
Truck / Quantitative Definition
Floor area
(Passenger Cargo)
Weight
(Passenger Payload)
Loading/Unloading
openings
(dimension / area) / Qualitative Definition
("designed and constructed for the carriage of goods")
N1:GVM£3.5t
N2:GVM£3.5t-12t
N3:GVM12t
*Each country has different criteria. / Qualitative Definition
("carrying load or commercial goods")

2. Summarized Comparison of Definitions of Gross Vehicle Weight / Masses */ between Japan, Europe andthe United States of America

Equipment / Japan / Europe / United States of America
Vehicle
Weight/Mass / Spare wheel,
Jack/ tools / uninstalled / installed / installed
Optional Equipment / uninstalled / installed / installed
Oil/Water / Full / Full / Full
Fuel / 100% / 90% / 100%
Passenger weight/mass / 55kg/person / 75kg/person / 68kg/person
Gross Vehicle Weight/Mass / (VW+55kg´n+PL)
VW: Vehicle Weight
n: Passenger Number
PL : Pay Load / GVM
(Permissible
Vehicle Mass) / GVWR
(Permissible
Vehicle Weight)

*/ Some Contracting Parties use the term "Weight".

3. Summarized Comparison of Definitions of Vehicle Dimensions between Japan, Europe

and the United States of America

Dimension / Japan / Europe / United States of America
Length / Spare wheel
uninstalled / Spare wheel
installed / Spare wheel
Installed
Width / Lamps
installed / Lamps
uninstalled / Lamps
Uninstalled

As for off-road vehicles, the group decided to wait for discussion until the draft gtr for off-road vehicles is formulated.

The second Common Tasks Group meeting was convened on 2-3 April 2001. Before discussion of specific common definitions, a set of guidelines for providing basic orientation to the work of the Common Tasks Group was proposed, and consensus was reached that common definitions be formulated in accordance with the following guidelines:

1. "Common definitions" shall be developed as basic elements for use in gtrs and shall not alter the current regulations of Contracting Parties.

2. "Common definitions" shall be developed from the technical point of view and shall not necessarily be linked to any social systems such as taxation, driving licence, etc.

3. Only "Common definitions" for basic terms necessary to define the vehicle categories and characteristics of obvious use in the formulation of gtrs shall be developed based on present-day definitions of Contracting Parties and relevant international standards.

4. Procedures for developing "Common definitions" shall be developed.

At the second Common Tasks Group meeting there were divided opinions on the above guideline No. 2, in particular, as to whether or not vehicle categories for gtrs should reflect the vehicle categorizations employed in the taxation, insurance, and other social systems of various nations. Finally, it was agreed to recommend the establishment of vehicle categories for gtrs from a technical standpoint independent from any social systems, mainly because it is difficult to reflect the different social systems of all nations. For vehicle weight and dimensions, elements subject to definition were selected for discussion at the next meeting. For vehicle categories, after debating on the basis of the summary data, the discussions on elements subject to definition were continued at the next meeting.

Prior to the third Common Tasks Group meeting, a small group meeting was organized in Tokyo to produce a merits-demerits table on various vehicle categorizations. One view was that it would not be necessary to define vehicle categories if they were established as test conditions. In opposition, clear defining vehicle categories were advocated to preclude the divergent interpretations of vehicle categories by nations. The establishment of common definitions for vehicle categories was favoured.

The third Common Tasks Group meeting was held on 8-9 October 2001, where two draft proposals were presented on the common definitions of vehicle weight and dimensions. The minimum necessary elements were agreed for recommendation in accordance with the previously established guidelines. Many expressed opinions on vehicle categories.

There was support for a proposal to categorize vehicles as passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles, the passenger vehicles being further classified into passenger cars, small buses, and large buses according to their Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) (buses being 3.5 t or over), while commercial vehicles were classified as small, medium, and large commercial vehicles according to their (GVW). There was also support for a plan to categorize vehicles into passenger cars and commercial vehicles by number of passengers, commercial vehicles being further categorized into small commercial vehicles and large commercial vehicles by (GVW). Similarly, there was support to categorize commercial vehicles as small, medium and large according to their (GVW). Additionally, there were comments that vehicles should not be defined by categories but only according to their parameter characters, details being defined by individual gtrs.

These comments were discussed and it was agreed to recommend that vehicles will be defined based on minimum necessary requirements; these categories are passenger car, bus, and commercial vehicle, with the commercial vehicle category further divided into the sub-categories of small, medium and large commercial vehicles. This recommendation was based on the Resolution on the Construction of Vehicles (R.E.3). In addition, it was planned that the two proposed drafts on the common definitions of vehicle categories, weight, and dimensions would be combined by January 2002.

In order to advance discussion on the combined draft proposal prior to the fourth Common Tasks Group meeting, a preliminary meeting was conducted in Ottawa on 4 April 2002. Prior to this meeting, copies of the combined draft proposal were distributed to the members, and comments were received.

The action taken in response to major comments are listed as follows:

There was a proposal to clarify the purpose of the Common Tasks, define "special-purpose vehicles" as another category, and define "pay mass" more clearly. A provision to define "special-purpose vehicles" in individual regulations of the Contracting Parties was inserted.

Another comment was to define "unladen mass" more clearly and clarify where to define Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) and Gross Technical Mass (GTM). Additionally, GTM was further defined. The draft was amended to that effect.

There were also comments with regard to the definition of seating positions. It was agreed to recommend that all seating positions supported by a seat anchorage be used to determine vehicle category.

There was a proposal to make a further inquiry about the naming of categories and how to define the number of passengers in a mathematical formula. As for the names of categories, the proposed names were agreed to be recommended for adoption due to a lack of more appropriate ones. A formula to calculate the number of passengers was not agreed on.

A proposal was made to clarify the definitions of weights and sizes. The draft was revised to that effect.

Conclusions and reasons for major comments are as follows:

At the Ottawa preliminary meeting, it was agreed to recommend the amended combined draft proposal, except for the following points that would be carried over to the fourth Common Tasks Group meeting: (a) whether category naming be in numbers or in abbreviated letters, (b)feasibility of allowing Contracting Parties to propose another breakpoint(s) in sub-categories of commercial vehicles for environmental or safety reasons in addition to the basic breakpoint of 3.5tons, (c)feasibility of eliminating the breakpoint of 7.5 tons, (d) feasibility of introducing a common definition of seating positions to clarify the passenger seating capacity of the vehicle.

As for vehicle dimensions, although there were differing opinions on whether to include the lamps, tyres, and other components attached to the vehicle body, it was agreed to recommend both "Overall" and "Structural" dimensions, since two types of gtrs would be formulated, one based on the outermost dimensions of the vehicle and the other based on the external panel dimensions of the vehicle. These dimensions were prepared in consideration of ISO.

The fourth Common Tasks Group meeting was convened on 29-30 April 2002. In consequence of the outcome of the Ottawa preliminary meeting, it was agreed to recommend the draft, except for five unresolved issues. A small group was formed to deal with the pending issues listed below, after it was agreed to recommend that Category 1 represent passenger cars, Category 2 commercial vehicles, and Category 3 two-wheeled vehicles.

Pending Issues

1) Sub-categorization of Category 2 by mass

2) Minimum loading capacity for Category 2

3) Seating positions for determining the number of passengers

4) Definition of a special-purpose vehicle

5) Definition of a motorcycle.

At the subsequent small-group meeting, an agreement for recommendation was reached on the above issues 2), 4), and5); however, issues 1) on sub-categorization by mass and 3) on seating positions remained unresolved and were to be brought to the final Common Tasks Group meeting.