Road safety: frontal protection systems on motor vehicles (amend. Directive 70/156/EEC)

PURPOSE : to establish technical requirements for the type-approval of motor vehicles as regards frontal protection systems supplied as original equipment fitted to vehicles or as separate technical units. PROPOSED ACT : Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council. CONTENT : Systems providing additional frontal protection of motor vehicles ("frontal protection systems") have been increasingly used in recent years. Some of these systems constitute a risk to the safety of pedestrians and other road users in the case of a collision with a motor vehicle. This proposal aims to provide added protection to pedestrians and other vulnerable road users in the event of a collision with a motor vehicle fitted with a frontal protection system. It lays down requirements that must be complied with by frontal protection systems either as originally fitted to a vehicle or put on the market as separate technical units. As the construction of motor vehicles is covered by framework Directive 70/156/EEC establishing the EC type-approval system for vehicles, components and separate technical units, the proposed requirements will also be part of that system. Road accident statistics indicate that a significant proportion of casualties involve pedestrians and cyclists who are injured as a result of contact with a moving vehicle and notably the frontal structures of passenger cars. The Parliament, in its report of June 2002, invited the Commission to propose legislation banning rigid bull bars supplied as after market equipment. The scope of this Directive has been limited to vehicles of categories M1 and N1 up to 3.5 tonnes: since these vehicle categories represent the vast majority of vehicles currently in use, the proposed measures will have the widest practicable effect in reducing pedestrian injuries. The prescribed requirements for frontal protection systems are laid down in the form of tests, which are described in Section 4 of Annex I to the proposal. As of 1 July 2005, Member States will no longer grant EC type-approval for a type of vehicle on grounds relating to the fitting of frontal protection systems, or for a type of frontal protection system as separate technical unit, if the requirements of the Annexes of this Directive are not fulfilled. As of 1 January 2006 all new vehicles that are fitted with frontal protection systems and all new frontal protection systems put on the market will have to comply with the proposed requirements. The requirements will be tested according to detailed technical prescriptions which will be set out by the Commission in accordance with Article 13 of Directive 70/156/EEC.�