Archive
Jul 2019
US Federal Agencies are Continuing to Pursue Rulemaking related to Autonomous Vehicles
On May 28, 2019 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) and is seeking public comment on testing and verifying compliance with existing crash avoidance (100-Series) Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSSs). Also on May 28, 2019, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued an ANPRM and is seeking public comment addressing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) that may need to be amended, revised, or eliminated to facilitate the safe introduction of Automated Driving Systems (ADS) equipped Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMVs).
Jun 2019
Draft Amendments to EU Regulation on Heavy Duty Vehicle Emissions Published
On 17th May 2019, the European Commission published a draft Regulation introducing "Step E" of the Euro VI heavy duty emissions requirements. The two main amendments being proposed as part of "Step E" relate to the portable emissions measurement system (PEMS) testing requirements. The first amendment introduces requirements for the cold start emissions to be included in the evaluation of the final emissions results and the second one requires particulate matter (PM) numbers to be measured during PEMS testing.
May 2019
Major Revisions to UN ECE Regulations on Lamps and Reflectors Adopted
At its recent 177th session, the World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) adopted three new United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) Regulations on lamps and reflectors; Regulation No. 148 on light signalling devices, Regulation No. 149 on road illumination devices and Regulation No. 150 on retro-reflecting devices. These three new Regulations will replace 20 existing UN ECE Regulations on individual lamp and reflector types in an attempt to simplify the UN ECE requirements applicable to such products.
Apr 2019
New Australian Road Vehicle Standards Legislation Published
A number of significant changes to the Australian legislative requirements regarding the importation and first provision of road vehicles and their components have been introduced by the new Road Vehicle Standards Act, which was published on 10th December 2018, and the associated Road Vehicle Standards Rules, which were published on 13th February 2019. This new Act and its supporting Rules will repeal and replace the existing Motor Vehicles Standards Act and its supporting Rules with effect from 10th December 2019, and are intended to modernise and strengthen the Australian legislative framework for road vehicles.
Mar 2019
Draft EU Regulation on Aerodynamic Devices for Trucks and Trailers Published
On 30th January 2019, the European Commission published a draft Regulation proposing amendments to EU Regulation No. 1230/2012 on the type approval requirements for masses and dimensions for motor vehicles and their trailers. This draft Regulation introduces new provisions that would allow buses, trucks and trailers to exceed the specified maximum permitted vehicle overall dimension limits when fitted with deployable aerodynamic devices (flaps) or, in the case of trucks, when fitted with an elongated cab having improved aerodynamic performance.
Feb 2019
Updates to EU and UK Type Approval Requirements Published to Cover Brexit
The UK's impending departure from the European Union will have implications on the application and acceptability of European Union type approvals issued to passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, vans, trucks, buses, coaches, motorcycles, agricultural tractors, trailers, non-road mobile machinery and the systems and components of such vehicles. With the date on which the UK is due to leave the EU, 29th March 2019, rapidly approaching and the possibility of a "no deal Brexit" on the horizon, both the EU and UK governments have been working on amendments to their respective type approval requirements to cater for such a scenario.
Jan 2019
Updated ECE Requirements on Airbag Warning Labels Proposed
At the November session of the World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29), an 08 series of amendments to United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) Regulation No. 16 on safety belts and restraint systems was adopted which introduces more prescriptive requirements on the airbag warning label and on the information to be included in their owner's manual regarding the dangers of fitting a rearward facing child restraint on a seat protected by an active airbag. These changes are intended to ensure that the important message which the airbag warning label and owner's manual text are intended to convey is not confused or diluted.
Dec 2018
ECE Regulation on Steering Updated to Cover Further Automatically Commanded Steering Functions
On 2nd November 2018, an 03 series of amendments to UN ECE Regulation No. 79 was published. This follows on from the previous 02 series of amendments to United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) Regulation No. 79 on steering systems, which introduced new requirements to cover park assist systems, remote control parking systems, lane keep assist systems and corrective steering functions. The new 03 series of amendments now introduces requirements to cover lane change assist systems and emergency steering functions, as well as updates to the Annex on special requirements to be applied to the safety aspects of electronic control systems.
Nov 2018
The U.S. DOT Issued a Notice of Request for Comments on newly issued autonomous vehicle guidelines - Preparing for the Future of Transportation: Automated Vehicles 3.0 (AV 3.0)
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a Notice of Request for Comments on a newly issued autonomous vehicles document: The DOT has issued an update to Automated Driving Systems 2.0 (AV 2.0): A Vision for Safety. Based on input from a diverse set of stakeholder engagements, this new document Preparing for the Future of Transportation: Automated Vehicles 3.0 (AV 3.0) expands the scope and is structured around three key areas: Advancing multi-modal safety, Reducing policy uncertainty and Outlining a process for working with the DOT. The DOT views this action as the beginning of a national discussion about the future of our on-road surface transportation system. This document will continue to evolve over time based on public comment, the experience of the DOT, manufacturers, suppliers, consumers and others, and further technological innovation.
Oct 2018
ECE Adopts Updated Requirements on Selective Catalyst Reduction Systems for Light Duty Vehicles
The World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) has recently adopted a proposed Supplement 7 to United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) Regulation No. 83.07 on light duty emissions which introduces alternative activation thresholds for the driver alerting systems and driver inducement systems fitted to vehicles with diesel engines that are equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems.