Road safety: mirrors, systems for indirect vision on vehicles (amend. Directive 70/156/EEC, repeal. Directive 71/127/EEC)

PURPOSE : to improve the safety of road users by amending the construction requirements of certain components and introducing new technologies in order to increase the field of indirect vision for drivers of motor vehicles. LEGISLATIVE ACT : Directive 2003/97/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of devices for indirect vision and of vehicles equipped with these devices, amending Directive 70/156/EEC and repealing Directive 71/127/EEC. CONTENT : The aim of this Directive is to harmonise rules relating to the type-approval of devices for indirect vision and of vehicles equipped with these devices. These rules are contained in the Annexes to this Directive. Council Directive 71/127/EEC was adopted as one of the separate directives of the EC type-approval procedure which was established by Council Directive 70/156/EEC Consequently, the provisions laid down in Directive 70/156/EEC relating to vehicle systems, components and separate technical units apply to Directive 71/127/EEC. Existing provisions, in particular in the case of categories N2, N3, M2 and M3 have proved inadequate as regards the exterior field of vision to the side, front and rear of the vehicle. In order to remedy this shortcoming, the provisions of this Directive require an extension of the field of vision. In the light of the experience gained and the present state of the art, it is now possible to amplify certain requirements of Directive 71/127/EEC in order to improve road safety and to permit the use of mirrors to be supplemented by other technologies. Directive 71/127/EEC will be repealed with effect from 24 January 2010. Since the type-approval and the conformity of production procedures are provided for in Directive 70/156/EEC, it was deemed unnecessary to repeat them in this Directive. The Annexes to Directive 70/156/EEC are amended accordingly. The relevant dates are as follows: -from 26 January 2006, Member States will refuse to grant EC type-approval and national type approval for any new type of vehicle on grounds relating to the device for indirect vision if the requirements of this Directive are not fulfilled. However, this date will be postponed by 12 months as regards the requirements concerning a class VI front mirror as a component and its installation on vehicles. -from 26 January 2010 for vehicles of categories M1 and N1, and from 26 January 2007 for all vehicles of other categories, Member States will consider certificates of conformity for new vehicles to be no longer valid for the purposes of Article 7(1) of Directive 70/156/EEC, and must prohibit the sale of vehicles on grounds relating to the device for indirect vision if the vehicles do not comply with the requirements of this Directive. As soon as possible after the adoption of this Directive, the Commission must submit a proposal to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe with the aim of aligning the provisions of UNECE Regulation 46 with the provisions of this Directive. Finally, by 26 January 2010, the Commission mustcarry out a detailed study to ascertain whether the amendments introduced by this Directive are having a positive effect on road safety, in particular as regards pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerableroad users. DATE OF TRANSPOSITION : 26 January 2005. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 29 January 2004.�