NEW GLOBAL REGULATIONS FOR SAFER VEHICLES
Geneva, 31 March 2008 -- The World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations, at its March 2008 session, adopted two new global technical regulations (gtrs) for safer motor vehicles; one on safety glazing and one on head restraints. This brings the total number of such regulations to seven.
The World Forum is a subsidiary body of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), which develops vehicle regulations aimed at increasing vehicle safety and environmental performance. Fifty countries, as well as vehicle manufacturers, consumers and road users, participate in the elaboration of these regulations, contained in the so-called “1958 and 1998 Agreements”.
The new safety glazing regulation is designed to improve glazing installations in passenger and commercial vehicles. To comply with the new prescriptions, vehicles must have a more effective glazing that will reduce the likelihood of injury in case of breakage, with better resistance versus time and atmospheric conditions and with good optical properties.
The head restraints regulation will improve geometric fit specifications of head restraints, reducing the level of excessive movement of the head and neck relative to the torso, which is considered one of the main causes of whiplash injuries. Computer model generated data suggest the new design will reduce injuries by 18 per cent.
Forty-eight amendments to existing vehicle regulations annexed to the 1958 Agreement were also adopted. They will increase vehicle safety and environmental performance, facilitating the adoption of uniform conditions for manufacturing and approval of motor vehicles, equipment and parts .
A gtr on Electronic Stability Control (ESC) for passenger cars was prepared for an upcoming ballot in June 2008. "This important global technical regulation could do as much for some vehicles' safety as the safety belt does", said Ms. Eva Molnar, Director of the UNECE Transport Division.
The World Forum is also currently working on gtrs for hydrogen and fuel-cell vehicles. As a first step towards a global technical regulation on hydrogen, the Japanese standard has been selected as a potential model.
For further information, please contact:
Eva Molnar, Director or Juan Ramos Garcia, Chief, Technology Section, or
Edoardo Gianotti, Secretary of the Working Group on Passive Safety
UNECE Transport Division
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: +41 (0) 22 917 2422
Fax: +41 (0) 22 917 0039
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.unece.org/trans
Ref: ECE/TRANS/08/P04