Safer cars: seat belts and child restraint systems

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EC) No 661/2009: type-approval for the general safety of motor vehicles, trailers and systems, components and separate technical units

SUMMARY

WHAT DOES THE REGULATION DO?

In general, it requires all motor vehicle parts and components to be type-approved* before they can be placed on the EU market.

—	This includes seat belts and child restraint systems.

—	This ensures that manufacturers of seat belts and child restraint systems throughout the EU meet the same safety standards.

KEY POINTS

Manufacturers have to ensure that all new vehicles are designed, built and assembled so as to minimise the risk of injury to vehicle occupants and other road users.

This includes vehicle systems, components and separate technical units, such as:

—	seat belts, and

—	Isofix anchorage systems and built-in child restraints. Isofix is an International Organisation for Standardisation standard for the anchoring systems for child safety seats.

The installation requirements for seatbelts and child restraints are governed by global technical harmonisation of vehicles regulations drawn up by the UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe):

—	Regulation No 16 (safety belts, restraint systems, child restraint systems and Isofix child restraint systems),

—	Regulation No 44 (child restraint systems),

—	Regulation No 129 (enhanced child restraint systems — ECRS).

Manufacturers have to demonstrate that seat belts and child restraint systems comply with these UNECE regulations. If they do so, they will also be considered to comply with this regulation and thus qualify for EC type-approval.

The rules and procedures in the regulation were amended in 2015, by Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/166.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see ‘Technical harmonisation’on the European Commission's website.

KEYWORDS

* Type-approval: this means that tests have been done to ensure that relevant regulatory, technical and safety requirements have been met.

ACT

Regulation (EC) No 661/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 concerning type-approval requirements for the general safety of motor vehicles, their trailers and systems, components and separate technical units intended therefor

RELATED ACTS

Regulation No 16 of the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations (UN/ECE) — Uniform provisions concerning the approval of: I. Safety-belts, restraint systems, child restraint systems and ISOFIX child restraint systems for occupants of power-driven vehicles — II. Vehicles equipped with safety-belts, safety-belt reminder, restraint systems, child restraint systems and ISOFIX child restraint systems (OJ L 233, 9.9.2011, pp. 1–94)

Regulation No 44 of the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations (UN/ECE) — Uniform provisions concerning the approval of restraining devices for child occupants of power driven vehicles (child restraint systems) (OJ L 330, 16.12.2005, pp. 56–157)

Regulation No 129 of the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations (UN/ECE) — Uniform provisions concerning the approval of enhanced Child Restraint Systems used on board motor vehicles (ECRS) (OJ L 97, 29.3.2014, pp. 21–128)

last update 20.10.2015