Proposal to amend Regulation No. 48 following the outcome of the 167th session of the World Forum where amendments to Regulations Nos. 97 and 116 on the status indicators for Vehicle Alarm System (VAS), Alarm System (AS) and immobilizer were adopted (WP.29/2015/87 and WP.29/2015/91). The proposal aims at defining and specifying the operation of the external status indicator for VAS, AS and the immobilizer.

18. The experts from Germany and OICA proposed to define and describe the operation of the external status indicator for vehicle alarm systems, alarm systems and immobilizers, as contained in Regulations Nos. 97 and 116 (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/2016/33 and GRE-76-17). Some experts raised technical concerns about the size and colour of the external indicator as well as legal doubts on whether Regulation No. 48 could include provisions on devices which do not fall into its scope. GRE agreed to revert to this issue at the next session and invited the authors to prepare a revised proposal.

18. The expert from OICA introduced a revised proposal with a view to defining and describing the operation of the external status indicators for vehicle alarm systems, alarm systems and immobilizers, as contained in Regulations Nos. 97 and 116 (GRE-77-25). Several experts reiterated their concerns that the proposed text, on the one hand, stated that such indicators were not considered lamps within the scope of Regulation No. 48, but, on the other hand, introduced requirements for the indicators. In the absence of a consensus on the issue, the Chair decided to postpone its consideration to the next session.

Revised proposals approved by the GRSG to delete provisions regarding the optical display of the status of the vehicle alarm system outside the passenger compartment in order to avoid driver distraction by and/or confusion of such exterior lighting with primary lighting and signaling equipment required under UN R48. These proposals supersede documents WP.29/2015/36 and WP.29/2015/37 that were submitted for the March 2015 WP.29 session but deferred to the June session.

38. GRSG recalled the submission to WP.29 of a proposal (GRSG-107-26-Rev.1) to clarify the requirements on the optical signal outside the vehicle on the status of VAS (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2015/36), subject to the review by GRE. The experts from France and Germany reported on the concerns raised by GRE at its April 2015 session. Following the discussion, GRSG noted general support on the compromise proposal as reflected in GRSG-108-50.

39. GRSG adopted the proposed amendments to UN Regulation No. 97 as reproduced in Annex II to this report and agreed to remove ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2015/36 from the June 2015 agenda of WP.29. The secretariat requested to submit the adopted proposal to WP.29 and AC.1 for consideration at their November 2015 sessions, as draft Supplement 8 to the 01 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 97.

49. Recalling its discussion under agenda item 8 (paras. 38-39 above), GRSG agreed to also remove ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2015/37 from the June 2015 agenda of WP.29. GRSG adopted the proposed amendments (GRSG-108-50) to UN Regulation No. 116 as reproduced in Annex III to this report and requested the secretariat to submit the adopted proposal to WP.29 and AC.1 for consideration at their November 2015 sessions, as draft Supplement 5 to UN Regulation No. 116.

Proposal as approved by the GRSG to delete provisions regarding the optical display of the status of the vehicle alarm system outside the passenger compartment in order to avoid driver distraction by and/or confusion of such exterior lighting with primary lighting and signaling equipment required under UN R48.

68. The Chair of GRSG introduced ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2015/36 and ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2015/37. The World Forum decided to defer consideration of these documents to its June 2015 session.

46. At the GRSG request, GRE considered proposals for amendments to Regulations Nos. 97 and 116 stipulating that, to provide information on the status of the vehicle alarm system and/or immobilizer, optical displays outside the passenger compartment can be used and that such displays should fulfil the requirements of Regulation No. 48 (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2015/36, ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2015/37). Some experts expressed concerns that optical displays are not defined in Regulation No. 48. GRE noted that these provisions were intended to prohibit lights that are not in conformity with Regulation No. 48 and did not see the need to intervene with GRSG on this subject.

49. Recalling its discussion under agenda item 8 (paras. 38-39 above), GRSG agreed to also remove ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2015/37 from the June 2015 agenda of WP.29. GRSG adopted the proposed amendments (GRSG-108-50) to UN Regulation No. 116 as reproduced in Annex III to this report and requested the secretariat to submit the adopted proposal to WP.29 and AC.1 for consideration at their November 2015 sessions, as draft Supplement 5 to UN Regulation No. 116.

76. The Chair of GRSG suggested that these two documents be removed from the agenda and that a new official document be discussed at the November session of WP.29.