Legal provisions of COM(1994)520 - Frontal impact resistance of motor vehicles

Please note

This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.

dossier COM(1994)520 - Frontal impact resistance of motor vehicles.
document COM(1994)520 EN
date December 16, 1996


Contents

Article 1

For the purposes of this Directive, 'vehicle` shall have the meaning given to it in Article 2 of Directive 70/156/EEC.

Article 2

1. No Member State may, on grounds concerning the protection of occupants of vehicles in the event of a frontal impact:

- refuse, in respect of a vehicle type, to grant EC type-approval or national type-approval, or

- prohibit the registration, sale or entry into service of a vehicle,

if it complies with the requirements of this Directive.

2. With effect from 1 October 1998, Member States:

- may no longer grant EC type-approval for a vehicle type in accordance with Article 4 of Directive 70/156/EEC,

- may refuse national type-approval for a vehicle type,

unless the vehicle satisfies the requirements of this Directive.

3. Paragraph 2 shall not apply to vehicle types approved before 1 October 1998 pursuant to Directive 74/297/EEC, or to subsequent extensions to that type-approval.

4. Vehicles type-approved in accordance with this Directive shall be regarded as satisfying the requirements of paragraph 5.1 of Annex I to Directive 74/297/EEC.

5. With effect from 1 October 2003, Member States:

- shall consider certificates of conformity which accompany new vehicles in accordance with Directive 70/156/EEC to be no longer valid for the purposes of Article 7 (1) of that Directive, and

- may refuse the registration, sale or entry into service of new vehicles which are not accompanied by a certificate of conformity in accordance with Directive 70/156/EEC,

if the requirements of this Directive, including paragraphs 3.2.1.2 and 3.2.1.3 of Annex II, are not fulfilled.

Article 3

In Part I of Annex IV to Directive 70/156/EEC, the table shall be supplemented as follows:

>TABLE>

Article 4

In the framework of the adaptation of this Directive to technical progress, the Commission shall:

(a) review the Directive, within two years from the date mentioned in Article 5 (1), with a view to increasing the test speed and including vehicles of category N1. The review will cover inter alia accident research data, full-scale car-to-car test results, cost-benefit considerations and, in particular, the existing performance requirements (both biomechanical and geometric) and the addition of new requirements relating to footwell intrusion. The review will examine the potential gains in occupant protection and the industrial feasibility of increasing the test speed and extending the scope of the Directive to include vehicles of category N1. The results of this review will be submitted to the European Parliament and the Council in a report drawn up by the Commission;

(b) before the end of 1996 review, and, if appropriate, amend Appendix 7 to Annex II so as to take into account assessment tests on the Hybrid III dummy's ankle including vehicle tests;

(c) before the end of 1997, review and, if appropriate, amend the limit values for neck injury (as specified in paragraphs 3.2.1.2 and 3.2.1.3 of Annex II) on the basis of the values recorded during type-approval tests and on accident study and biomechanical research data;

(d) also make, before the end of 1997, the necessary amendments to the separate Directives so as to ensure the compatibility of the type-approval and extension procedures provided by the directives with those in this Directive.

Article 5

1. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive no later than 1 October 1996. They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof.

When Member States adopt these provisions, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or shall be accompanied by such reference on the occasion of their official publication. The methods of making such reference shall be laid down by Member States.

2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the texts of the main provisions of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.

3. Member States shall take the measures necessary to ensure that the results of the type-approval tests carried out by their approval authorities are made available to the public.

Article 6

This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

Article 7

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.