WBU and European Blind Union statement critical of the current draft UN Regulation for failing to adequately address the needs of the visually impaired.

Correction of two minor reference errors contained in the proposal for Supplement 2 to the 04 series of amendments to Regulation No. 41 which was adopted during the March 2015 session of WP.29.

Proposal to specify that conditioning of exhaust or silencing systems is required only in cases where the fibrous materials are in contact with exhaust gases because there is no possibility for the dispersion of fibrous materials under any other condition.

Table of potential areas for future GRB work prepared during an informal meeting held in Paris during 2-3 July 2015.

GRB-62 post-session review of future noise regulation development based upon the results of the GRB Informal meeting held in Paris during 2-3 July 2015.

At the GRB meeting in January 2015 the Netherlands introduced a justification and proposal for future tyre noise limits (document GRB-61-03). During the discussion, it was suggested to investigate whether difference in performance existed between Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) tyres and replacement tyres, noting that the transitional provisions in EC/661/2009 take into account the earlier introduction of noise limits of OEM tyres mounted on new vehicle types. Therefore, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment asked M+P to investigate the statistics of tyre noise label values in OEM tyres in more detail.

Presentation on China’s international noise standards working group activities and program for future development of vehicle noise and silencing system durability requirements.

Proposal to increase the stringency of tyre noise limits from 1 November 2020.

Presentation in support of the proposal to increase the stringency of tyre noise limits from 1 November 2020.

Presentation on Japanese vehicle noise activities, including alignment with UN Regulations and subsequent abolition of certain current Japanese regulatory requirements (e.g. cruising noise, etc.).

Presentation of Japan’s plans for phasing in UN R41, UN R51 (Phase 2, but not Phase 3 limits), and UN R117 requirements.

Paper describing the development and application of a method for determining benefits of tyre noise reduction efforts in terms of the number of people impacted.

Presentation on the Dutch-developed methodology for assessing the impact of changes to tyre and vehicle noise standards.

The current text of UN R41 provides an allowance that increases the noise limit value by 1 dB(A) for motorcycles tested only in second gear under Annex 3. This allowance expires on 1 January 2017. IMMA proposes to extend this allowance until 1 January 2018 in response to the delayed implementation of UN R41-04 in the EU (2016 instead of planned 2014).

Presentation by Dr. Edward C. Bell, Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness, Louisiana Tech University.

ETRTO comments raising concerns over the validity of the Dutch dataset used to support the proposal for higher tyre-noise stringency.

Comments on the draft Supplement 5 to the UN R28. The draft supplement aims to refine definitions, removes the “AWD” abbeviation for “audible warning device” to avoid confusion with its more common use for “all wheel drive”, adds T category agricultural vehicles to the scope, modifies some administrative communications, and proposes three-direction acoustic measurements.

Proposal to clarify the wording of the 03 series of amendments to UN R51 as adopted by the World Forum in June 2015 (document WP.29/2015/62). The adopted wording could lead to the interpretation that sound levels measured on the left side of the vehicle are mixed by calculation with sound levels measured on the right side of the vehicle. The proposed new wording clarifies that the overall sound emission is assessed individually per vehicle side.

Proposal for corrections to the draft Supplement 5 to the regulation. The draft supplement aims to refine definitions, removes the “AWD” abbeviation for “audible warning device” to avoid confusion with its more common use for “all wheel drive”, adds T category agricultural vehicles to the scope, modifies some administrative communications, and proposes three-direction acoustic measurements.

Proposal to amend the draft Supplement 5 to the UN R28. The draft supplement aims to refine definitions, removes the “AWD” abbeviation for “audible warning device” to avoid confusion with its more common use for “all wheel drive”, adds T category agricultural vehicles to the scope, modifies some administrative communications, and proposes three-direction acoustic measurements.

Presentation on low-noise pavements and the PERSUADE (PoroElastic Road
SUrface for Avoiding Damage to the Environment) project.

Proposal to update and clarify the regulation. The proposal refines definitions, removes the “AWD” abbeviation for “audible warning device” to avoid confusion with its more common use for “all wheel drive”, adds T category agricultural vehicles to the scope, modifies some administrative communications, and proposes three-direction acoustic measurements.

In response to concerns that approval agencies may not grant manufacturers the additional 1dB for L(wot) on conformity of production tests as changes had been made to Annex 6 of R41-04, GRB issued an interpretation recorded in the report of its 56th session. The proposal formalizes the interpretation as an explicit provision of the regulation.