Joint EU/Japan/US proposal for the program of work, segmented into

• Existing GTRs – High priority
• Existing GTRs – Low priority
• Existing GTRs – No activities identified for PoW, and
• New priorities
.

Proposal from the IWVTA informal group to supersede the current guidelines for regulatory procedures and transitional provisions for UN Regulations (document WP.29/1044 and its Revision 1) with updated general guidelines for establishing or amending UN Regulations, including for the definition of scope, administrative and transitional provisions, use of alternative requirements, and cross-referencing with other regulations. This proposal aims to

1. Streamline future work without superseding provisions of the 1958 Agreement and the existing UN Regulations,
2. Clarify rulemaking procedures pursuant to Revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement, and
3. Ensure “good regulatory practice” through clarifications to avoid divergence between the interpretation of Revision 3 and the application to UN Regulations.

Proposal submitted by the informal working group on the International Whole Vehicle Type Approval for the establishment of UN Regulation No. 0 regarding the approval of whole vehicles within the framework of the 1958 Agreement. The regulations would establish an International Whole Vehicle Type Approval (IWVTA) scheme whereby Contracting Parties adhering to the Regulation may issue approvals to either a limited level (L-IWVTA) or to a wider range of technical topics included in the universal level (U-IWVTA). Contracting Parties are able to apply the limited or universal IWVTA depending upon the national situation.

The Universal-IWVTA (U-IWVTA) provides a greater level of certainty for vehicle manufacturers and Contracting Parties applying this UN Regulation, as the approval has to be accepted without further assessment of the technical items covered by the U-IWVTA issued. Contracting Parties applying this UN Regulation are not obliged to accept approvals to the limited level (L-IWVTA) but may do so at their choice. However, they have also to accept approvals issued pursuant to U-IWVTA.

The UN Regulation includes the administrative obligations of the IWVTA scheme. It does not establish separate technical requirements but instead refers to the provisions of the separate UN Regulations.

Proposal to correct the scope of the GTR to align with Part A of the GTR, UN R43, and regional/national interpretations and to align the impact test procedure description with that of UN R43 and ISO 3537. The scope is amended to add “panes or as partitioning” while deleting the wording “use of double windows panes, each pane is considered a separate item of glazing panes”. The impact test procedure is clarified to define the point of impact with reference to the test piece (not the current “supported area”) and within 25 mm of its geometric centre and 50 mm of its centre.

Proposal to delete transitional provision subparagraphs that only apply to the 05 series of amendments to UN R48, but were erroneously kept in the 06 series of amendments.

Proposal for editorial corrections to align the definition on plastic glazing between the original English version and the French translation as well as of the communication annex on principal/secondary characteristics for laminated-glass windscreens.

Proposal to add a telltale and symbols for “Accident Emergency Call System (AECS)” and to align UN R121 with the 07 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 16:

1. the term “seat belt” is replaced by “safety belt”,
2. the symbol for safety belt, defined in item 21 of Table 1 in the Regulation, may be displayed in different colours to convey different meanings. Therefore, the existing footnote 18 has been added to item 21, and
3. this symbol may be replaced by different symbols for seats other than those of the front row. Therefore, a new footnote 22 is added to item 21.

Proposal to align the headform test with the deceleration measurement and the test of resistance to abrasion with ISO 15082:2016-11, including changes to the test details, correction of the headform calibration values, and the introduction of abrasion reference materials. The latter is combined with an abrasive-wheel qualification and a correction calculation (for plastic materials only).

The proposal also amends Figure 2a of Annex 21 to better reflect the meaning of paragraph 2.4.2.2. of Annex 21, mainly to clarify the lateral limits of any opaque obscuration in this area.

Proposal for editorial corrections to align the definition on plastic glazing between the original English version and the French translation as well as of the communication annex on principal/secondary characteristics for laminated-glass windscreens.

Proposal to correct paragraph 16.1.3.1. as follows: “The minimum and the average magnification factors of the CMS, in both horizontal and vertical directions shall not be lower than the minimum average magnification factors indicated below.” The latter reference to “minimum average” should be deleted since the subsequent text provides the required minimum and average magnification factors.

The proposal also corrects the cross-reference in paragraph 6.3.3.2. where “the test shall satisfy the conditions laid down in paragraph 6.1.3. of this Regulation” should refer to paragraph 6.1.1.3. and aligns the communication form with with the scope of the Regulation regarding vehicle categories (adding category L).

Proposal to correct the definition of “manual valve”, including deletion of the phrase “rigidly fixed to the cylinder or tank”. The definition of the manual valve as part of the accessories fitted to the container or tank (para. 4.16.) is different from the definition specified in paragraph 4.22. The proposed editorial change aims at clarifying the text of these definitions.

Proposal to correct the definition of “manual valve”, including deletion of the phrase “rigidly fixed to the cylinder or tank”. The definition of the manual valve as part of the accessories fitted to the container or tank (para. 4.16.) is different from the definition specified in paragraph 4.22. The proposed editorial change aims at clarifying the text of these definitions.

The proposal also introduces provisions for cargo-compartment refrigeration systems connected to the compressed natural gas (CNG) and/or liquefied natural gas (LNG) system(s).

Proposal to enable approval testing under UN R137 as an alternative to UN R12 in order to avoid redundant testing requirements. The proposal adds references to the steering gear provisions of UN R137 (full width frontal impact) as a compliance alternative in parallel to the current references similarly allowing compliance via provisions in UN R94 (offset deformable barrier frontal impact).

For the International Whole Vehicle Type Approval, a UN Regulation is split in two regulations, UN Regulation No. 14-08 series of amendments including only adult safety belt anchorages and a new regulation UN Regulation No. [XX] will include all requirements for child restraint anchorages. Accordingly, this proposal would update the references to UN Regulation No. 14 in UN Regulation No. 16 in order to recognize child restraint system anchorages installed on the vehicle and approved under the new regulation.

Proposal to correct the reference to paragraph 5.1.3. in paragraph 5.2.3.2. to read 5.2.3.

Proposal to clarify the testing of seats with and without head restraints. This proposal would allow alternatives at the request of the manufacturer by clarifying that under testing of a bench seat with three seating positions and two head restraints, a moment of 3 × 373Nm shall be applied to the back of seats and of 2 × 373Nm to the head restraints:

1. If the manufacturer wants to comply with the test requirements of paragraph 6.2. (strength of the seat-back), by the test of head restraint performance of paragraph 6.4., they choose to apply 53 daNm to each seat back without head restraint and 89 daN to each head restraint. In this case only one test shall be performed.
2. If the manufacturer chooses not to apply 53 daNm, during the test of paragraph 6.4., the seat back strength test of paragraph 6.2. has to be performed in addition to the test of paragraph 6.4.

Proposal to amend UN R44 in line with the proposal to amend UN R14 in order to separate child restraint provisions (including ISOFIX anchorage provisions) into a new UN Regulation. The ISOFIX amendment to UN R14 has been introduced to facilitate the establishment of the International Whole Vehicle Type Approval (IWVTA) regulation by limiting the scope of UN R14 to adult safety belts.