Two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles: lighting and light-signalling devices

1) OBJECTIVE

To harmonise the laws of the Member States and establish a type-approval procedure with regard to lighting and light-signalling devices on two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles.

2) ACT

Council Directive 93/92/EEC of 29 October 1993 on the installation of lighting and light-signalling devices on two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles

[Official Journal L 311 of 14.12.1993].

Amended by:

Commission Directive 2000/73/EC of 22 November 2000 [Official Journal L 300 of 29.11.2000].

3) SUMMARY

Directive 93/92/EEC

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procedure for two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles, initially put in place by Directive 92/61/EEC which was repealed and replaced by Directive 2002/24/EC.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 divided into:

• mopeds: two- or three-wheeled vehicles fitted with an engine having a cylinder capacity not exceeding 50 cm3 and a maximum design speed of not more than 45 km/h;
• motorcycles: two-wheeled vehicles with or without a sidecar, fitted with an engine having a cylinder capacity of more than 50 cm3 and/or having a maximum design speed of more than 45 km/h;
• motor tricycles: vehicles with three symmetrically arranged wheels fitted with 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 whose engine cylinder capacity does not exceed 50 cm3, whose maximum design speed is not more than 45 km/h and whose unladen mass is less than 350 kg are considered to be mopeds;
• other quadricycles are classed as motor tricycles.

The requirements relate to numbers, installation diagrams, geometrical visibility, alignment, incorporation with other devices and telltales for each lighting and light-signalling device according to the type of vehicle.

The annexes contain a list of colours of the various lights and a procedure for adapting requirements to technical progress.

The procedure for granting type-approval is as follows:

• the application for type-approval is submitted by the constructor or manufacturer to the competent authority of a Member State;
• the competent authority grants type-approval in respect of the lighting and light-signalling devices if they 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 the installation of lighting and light-signalling 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.

Directive 2000/73/EC

With effect from 1 January 2002, Member States may not, on grounds relating to the installation of lighting and light-signalling devices:

• refuse to grant EC type-approval for a type of two- or three-wheeled motor vehicle;
• prohibit the registration, sale or entry into service of two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles.

With effect from 1 July 2002, Member States must refuse to grant EC type-approval for any new type of two- or three-wheeled motor vehicle on grounds relating to the installation of lighting and light-signalling devices if the requirements of Directive 93/92/EEC, as amended by this Directive, are not fulfilled.

Last updated: 14.07.2005