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UN R48: Revised proposal for a new series of amendments
Document GRE/2020/8/Rev.2
10 February 2021

Proposal from the SLR informal group to introduce new requirements for headlamp levelling, in particular on the vertical inclination in relation to the dipped-beam headlamp mounting height, and to allow manual levelling only for off-road vehicles.

Status: Superseded
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Previous Documents, Discussions, and Outcomes
4. | Simplification of Lighting and Light-Signalling UN Regulations

8. The experts of IWG SLR presented an updated proposal for a new 09 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 48 that introduced revised requirements for headlamp levelling (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/2020/8/Rev.3). GRE adopted the technical provisions of the proposal. In view of other proposals on the agenda that could become part of the new 09 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 48, GRE agreed to address the transitional provisions for the new series under agenda item 6 (a).

6. (a) | UN Regulation No. 48 (Installation of Lighting and Light-Signalling Devices)

21. The Chair summarized that the following draft amendments were adopted at this session and would become part of the draft 09 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 48:

  1. Headlamp levelling (paragraph 8 above);
  2. Device transition (paragraph 11);
  3. Park condition (paragraph 19);
  4. Manoeuvring lamps on trailers (paragraph 16);
  5. Visibility of red light towards the front and/or white light toward the rear (paragraph 18); and
  6. Transitional provisions (paragraph 20).

22. GRE decided to submit the above proposals for consideration and vote at the March 2024 sessions of WP.29 and AC.1 as a new 09 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 48. At its next session in October 2023, GRE agreed to editorially confirm these proposals without modifying their substantial content and requirements. To this end, GRE suggested that a consolidated text of the draft 09 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 48 be prepared.

4. (e) | Simplification of UN Regulations Nos. 48, 53, 74 and 86

28. GRE noted that so far IWG SLR had not been able to reconcile different positions on the proposal for headlamp levelling (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/2020/8/Rev.2, GRE-85-19, GRE-85-29) and decided to revert to this issue at the next session.

4. (a) | Activities of the Informal Working Group "Simplification of the Lighting and Light-Signalling Regulations"
4. (e) | Simplification of UN Regulations Nos. 48, 53, 74 and 86

14. The expert from IWG SLR tabled a revised proposal for a new series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 48 that introduces new requirements for headlamp levelling and allows manual levelling only for off-road vehicles (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/2020/8/Rev.2). The expert from Poland suggested amendments for the initial downward inclination (GRE-84-37). The experts from France and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland made further comments.

15. GRE noted diverging positions on the proposed aiming diagram and manual levelling for off-road vehicles. GRE remained optimistic that a consensus could be reached and requested IWG SLR to convene 1-2 additional separate meetings with the aim to reconcile the different positions and to prepare a revised proposal for the next session.

6. | UN Regulation No. 48 (Installation of lighting and light-signalling devices)
6. (a) | UN R48: Proposals for amendments to the latest series of amendments
4. (c) | UN Regulation No. 149 (Road illumination devices)
4. (e) | Simplification of UN Regulations Nos. 48, 53, 74 and 86
6. (a) | UN R48: Proposals for amendments to the 05 and 06 series of amendments
6. (b) | UN R48: Proposals for new series of amendments

29. Based on a proposal of IWG SLR, GRE continued its deliberations for preparing a new series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 48 with new requirements for headlamp aiming and automatic levelling (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/2020/8/Rev.1). The expert from Poland held the view that the justification part contained mistakes and inconsistencies and recalled his earlier proposals on the subject (GRE-83-41). Several experts expressed their support to the IWG SLR proposal.

30. The expert from OICA proposed to keep an option of manual levelling (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/2020/23 and GRE-83-31). Some experts supported this option, while others were not in favour.

31. In the absence of a consensus, GRE stressed the need to finalize the issue as soon as possible and requested IWG SLR to take into account the comments made and to prepare a revised working document for the next session, based on the following principles:

  • the aiming diagram agreed at the eighty-first session of GRE (Annex II to ECE/TRANS/ WP.29/GRE/81);
  • automatic levelling;
  • manual levelling, only if a consensus is reached within IWG SLR.

32. The expert from Poland did not agree to that conclusion.

33. GRE instructed IWG SLR to organize a separate meeting on this issue and encouraged all experts of Contracting Parties to participate.

6. (b) | Proposals for new series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 48

31. The expert from IWG SLR recalled the previous discussions on the aiming diagram in paragraph 6.2.6.1.2. (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/81, para. 10 and Annex II) and presented GRE-82-25, which had been prepared in line with the GRE request. The expert from Poland proposed a revised diagram (GRE-82-43). For the diagram in GRE-82-25, the experts from Japan, Poland and the United Kingdom expressed their preference to maintain the 2000 lm criteria for automatic levelling and headlamp cleaning. The experts from Germany and the United Kingdom pointed out the need to consider the aiming tolerance for the purposes of, respectively, Periodic Technical Inspections (PTI) and Conformity of Production (CoP). GRE requested IWG SLR to consider the above elements and to prepare a revised document for the next session of GRE.

Related and Previous Documents
GRE/2020/8/Rev.1
GRE-83-41
GRE-83-31
GRE-82-25
GRE-85-19
SLR-HL-28/Rev.2
SLR-59-02/Rev.1
SLR-HL-28
SLR-HL-28/Rev.1
SLR-60-01/Rev.1
GRE/2020/8/Rev.3
Relates to UN R48 |