Working Party on Lighting and Light-signalling | Session 89 | 24-27 Oct 2023
Geneva
Agenda Item 6. (a)
UN Regulation No. 48 (Installation of Lighting and Light-Signalling Devices)

15. The expert of GTB proposed a clarification for use of daytime running lamps (DRL) with other lamps (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/2023/19). GRE adopted the proposal and requested the secretariat to submit it for consideration and vote at the March 2024 sessions of WP.29 and AC.1 as part of draft Supplement 20 to the 06 series of amendments, part of draft Supplement 7 to the 07 series of amendments, part of draft Supplement 5 to the 08 series of amendments and part of the draft new 09 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 48.

16. The experts from GTB proposed to improve the definition of photometric stability. The proposal was accompanied by an amendment to the 01 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 148 (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/2023/20). GRE adopted the proposals and requested the secretariat to submit them for consideration and vote at the March 2024 sessions of WP.29 and AC.1 as part of draft Supplement 5 to the 08 series of amendments and part of the draft new 09 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 48, as well as part of draft Supplement 2 to the 01 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 148.

17. The expert from the Task Force on Autonomous Vehicle Signalling Requirements (TF AVSR) reported on their activities to adapt UN Regulation No. 48 to the introduction of automated vehicles (GRE-89-19) and presented revised amendment proposals (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/2023/9/Rev.1 and GRE-89-14). GRE thanked TF AVSR for their efforts which were ahead of related activities in other WP.29 GRs. GRE noted that amending UN Regulation No. 48 would require a set of new definitions and vehicle (sub)categories which should first be harmonized among various GRs and adopted at the WP.29 level. GRE requested TF AVSR to continue liaising with other GRs with the aim to prepare updated amendment proposals for the next session of GRE.

18. GRE recalled that, at its previous session, it had adopted a new 09 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 48 and had decided to submit the proposal to the March 2024 session of WP.29, in order to editorially confirm these proposals at the present session.

19. The expert of OICA proposed to extend until 2032 the transitional provisions for heavy commercial vehicles and trailers in the draft 09 series of amendments (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/2023/28). GRE was not in a position to support the proposal.

20. The expert of OICA also introduced improvements and clarifications for the new draft 09 series of amendments (GRE-89-18). Following an in-depth discussion, GRE adopted these proposals, as amended, and agreed to merge them with the new draft 09 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 48.

21. Against this background, GRE noted and endorsed a consolidated text of the draft 09 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 48 (GRE-89-02-Rev.3) which had been prepared by IWG SLR and compiled the following documents that had been adopted at the present and previous sessions of GRE: ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/2020/08/Rev.3, Annex II to ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/88, ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/2023/13, ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/2023/19, ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/2023/20, GRE-88-16-Rev.3, GRE-88-18, GRE-88-24, GRE-88-27, GRE-89-04 and GRE-89-18. The proposal would be submitted for consideration and vote at the March 2024 sessions of WP.29 and AC.1.

22. GRE agreed to transform the Special Interest Group (SIG) on the 09 series of amendments into the Task Force on Lamps Under Parked Conditions (TF LUPC) with a mandate until December 2025. GRE noted that the experts from Japan and the Netherlands would act as Co-Chairs of TF LUPC while OICA would act as Secretary.

23. The expert from China presented applications of road projections with the predicted trajectory (GRE-89-13). GRE welcomed the presentation and recalled its discussion on ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/2023/7 at the previous session. GRE decided to revert to this topic at the next session.

24. The expert from France noted the lack of international harmonization of work lamps and proposed draft amendments to UN Regulation No. 48 to correct that (GRE-89-21). He clarified that his proposal only intended to regulate type approval of the installation of work lamps on vehicles and not approve the lamps themselves. In the course of a brainstorming discussion, various experts touched upon such issues as mutual recognition of type approvals, the maximum speed for automatic switching off work lamps, the applicable vehicle categories and costs/benefits for the industry. Finally, GRE agreed to retain this issue on the agenda of the next session.

25. The expert from France pointed out that in some situations, the white light of type-approved front lighting units might be seen as blue, due to human eye perception (GRE-89-24). He sought the advice of GRE on what should be done in such cases. Several experts confirmed the existence of such a phenomenon, but believed that it neither undermined road safety nor justified substantial changes in the legal requirements. GRE invited all experts to find a simple solution to the problem and agreed to revert to it at the next session.

Documentation
GRE-88-16/Rev.3 UN R48: Proposal for a 09 series of amendments
GRE-88-18 UN R48: Proposal for a Supplement to 09 series of amendments (OICA)
GRE-88-24 UN R48: Revised proposal for a new series of amendments (CLCCR)
GRE-88-27 UN R48: Proposal for a 09 series of amendments
GRE-89-02/Rev.3 UN R48: Collation of proposals for the 09 series of amendments
GRE-89-04 UN R48: Proposal to amend para. 6.2.8.2.
GRE-89-13 Application of predicted trajectory light (China)
GRE-89-14 UN R48: Proposal for a Supplement
GRE-89-18 UN R48: Proposal for improvement and clarification for the new [09] series of amendments (OICA)
GRE-89-19 AVSR task force status report on UN R48 fitness for automated vehicles
GRE-89-21 View on the definition of "work lamps" (France)
GRE-89-24 Views on provisions concerning the colour of light (France)
GRE/2020/8/Rev.3 UN R48: Proposal for a new [09] series of amendments
GRE/2023/7 UN R48: Proposal for a Supplement to the 06, 07 and 08 series of amendments (GTB)
GRE/2023/9/Rev.1 UN R48: Proposal for a new supplement
GRE/2023/13 UN R48: Proposal for a Supplement to the 06, 07, 08 [and 09] series of amendments
GRE/2023/19 UN R48: Proposal for a Supplement to the 06, 07, 08 [and 09] series of amendments (GTB)
GRE/2023/20 UN R48: Proposal for a Supplement to the 08 [and 09] series of amendments (also 01 series of UN R148) (GTB)
GRE/2023/28 UN R48: Revised proposal for transitional provisions of the 09 series of amendments (OICA)