When the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) Working Party responsible for braking and tyres, the Working Party on Brakes and Running Gear (GRRF), originally drafted the legal requirements for electronic stability control (ESC) systems, brake assist systems (BAS) and tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), it was felt the most appropriate way to introduce these new requirements was to incorporate them into existing UN ECE Regulations. Therefore, the requirements on electronic stability control (ESC) systems and brake assist systems (BAS) were added into ECE Regulation No. 13H on braking, and the requirements on tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) were added into ECE Regulation No. 64 on temporary use spare wheels and tyres.
A significant drawback of this arrangement was highlighted during a review of the 1958 Agreement which was undertaken to identify potential changes to the Agreement that would encourage prospective new Contracting Parties to become signatories to the Agreement, and prepare the Agreement for the future implementation of an International Whole Vehicle Type Approval (IWVTA) scheme. Including the requirements for multiple vehicle systems into one Regulation makes it very difficult, if not impossible, for Contracting Parties to mandate the fitment of one system without also requiring the mandatory fitment of the other systems. Therefore, to assist in making the 1958 Agreement more appealing to prospective new Contracting Parties and to prepare it for the implementation of the IWVTA scheme, it was agreed that these Regulations should be split into separate Regulations.
This splitting of the Regulations was undertaken by GRRF and, at their 169th session, the World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) formally adopted the following new Regulations and series of amendments:
- The 01 series of amendments to ECE Regulation No. 13H on braking, in which all of the requirements relating to ESC systems and BAS are removed
- New ECE Regulation No. 139 on brake assist systems (BAS), which includes all of the requirements on BAS removed from ECE 13H
- New ECE Regulation No. 140 on electronic stability control (ESC) systems, which includes all of the requirements on ESC systems removed from ECE 13H
- The 03 series of amendments to ECE Regulation No. 64 on temporary use spare units, run flat tyres and run flat systems, in which all of the requirements relating to TPMS are removed
- New ECE Regulation No. 141 on tyre pressure monitoring systems, which includes all of the requirements on TPMS removed from ECE 64.02
The new Regulations have been allocated a provisional entry into force date of 22nd January 2017 and the new series of amendments have been allocated a provisional entry into force date of 9th February 2017. Official publication of these Regulations and series of amendments is expected during January or February 2017.