Brussels, 05/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 3 October, the European Commission adopted a draft regulation aimed at promoting the safety of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users (cyclists and motorcyclists), while simplifying the testing methods imposed on vehicle manufacturers by Directive 2003/102/EC, which should be in place as of 2010. According to the results of a study commissioned by the European Commission, these tests - which were to certify that measures imposed during the design of vehicles allowed shocks suffered by pedestrians or cyclists to be reduced when collision with a vehicle takes place - had in fact been impossible to carry out for vehicle makers.
In September 2003, the Council adopted a directive that imposed new harmonised technical rules on vehicle manufacturers in order to reduce shocks suffered by pedestrians and cyclists during collision with a vehicle. The new rules, which took effect in 2005, stipulate that the front of private cars and commercial vehicles on sale in Community territory should be designed in a way that reduces the shock impact during collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian or cyclist (see EUROPE 8548). Specific tests foreseen by the directive were to allow the application and effectiveness of these measures to be monitored. The directive also sets out technical provisions relating to vehicle testing and protection systems for the front of the vehicle (such as bumpers or bull bars). From 2010, these tests should be even stricter. A feasibility study commissioned by the Commission shows that the requirements set out in the directive could not be put into practice by the motor industry, which is why the draft regulation adopted on Wednesday makes the test parameters less stringent. By way of example, the maximum knee bend angle for tests simulating a collision between the lower part of the leg and the bumper was increased from 15% to 19% while keeping the same speed, 40 km/h.
The new proposal also defines the kind of information to be presented by vehicle drivers, or the kind of frontal protection, in order to receive a vehicle approval certificate. When elements of the frontal protection of vehicles are sold as spare parts, the maker will be under an obligation to establish the list of every kind of vehicle for which a protection system has been certified.
Directive 2003/102/EC and Directive 2005/66/EC on controlling the use of frontal protection systems will be repealed but all the provisions already in force (such as the obligation for makers to include a braking assistance system, new rear-view mirrors, better light signals, lateral protection, a system for preventing water being thrown up by the tyres, as well as the type-approval certificate system) will be maintained. The regulation will apply to cars and commercial vehicles nine months after publication in the Official Journal. (aby)