Two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles: braking devices

1) OBJECTIVE

To harmonize the laws of the Member States and establish a type-approval procedure with regard to the braking of two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles.

2) ACT

Council Directive 93/14/EEC of 5 April 1993 on the braking of two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles [Official Journal L 121 of 15.05.1993].

Amended by Commission Directive 2006/27/EC of 3 March 2006 [Official Journal L 66 of 08.03.2006].

3) SUMMARY

This Directive comes under the type- approval procedure for two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles, initially put in place by Directive 92/61/EEC which was repealed and replaced by Directive 2002/24/EC.

The vehicles covered by the Directive are as follows:

• mopeds: two- or three-wheeled vehicles with or without sidecar powered by an engine having a cylinder capacity not exceeding 50 cm3 and having a maximum design speed not exceeding 45 km/h;
• motorcycles: two-wheeled vehicles with or without sidecar powered by an engine having a cylinder capacity of more than 50 cm3 and/or having a maximum design speed of more than 45 km/h;
• tricycles: vehicles with three symmetrical wheels and an engine having a cylinder capacity of more than 50 cm3 and/or a maximum design speed of more than 45 km/h;
• quadricycles: four-wheeled vehicles powered by an engine with a cylinder capacity not exceeding 50 cm3, a maximum design speed of 45 km/h and an unladen mass not exceeding 350 kg are considered to be mopeds, while other quadricycles are classified as tricycles.

Recognition of equivalence between requirements of the Directive and those of Regulation No 78 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE/UN).

Specifications concerning the design, construction and assembly of braking devices, and braking tests and performances based on braking distance.

Characteristics of braking devices for various types of vehicles:

• two-wheeled moped or motocycle without sidecar: two service braking devices with independent controls and transmissions, one acting at least on the front wheel and the other at least on the rear wheel;
• motorcycle with sidecar: same provisions as for motorcycles without sidecar; if abovementioned device does not produce the required performance, a supplementary brake on the wheel of the sidecar is required;
• tricycles: service braking device which operates on all the wheels, emergency braking device which may be the parking brake and a parking braking device acting on the wheel(s) of at least one axle.

Specific requirements relating to the performance of braking systems equipped with anti-lock devices fitted to two-wheeled mopeds, two-wheeled motorcycles and tricycles.

Procedure for adapting requirements to technical progress or to amendments of the ECE/UN Regulation.

Procedure for granting type-approval:

• the application for type-approval is submitted by the manufacturer to the competent authority of a Member State;
• the competent authority grants type-approval in respect of braking devices if the latter fulfil the technical requirements of this Directive and match the data supplied by the manufacturer;
• the competent authority fills in to this effect the type-approval certificate to be found attached to the Directive.

The requirements relating to braking devices form part of a set of 47 characteristics provided for by Council framework Directive 92/61/EEC which must all be observed by manufacturers so that two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles may be type-approved and placed on the Community market.

Last updated: 11.07.2006