Two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles: controls, tell-tales and indicators

1) OBJECTIVE

To harmonize the laws of the Member States with regard to controls, tell-tales and indicators of motor vehicles.

2) ACT

Council Directive 93/29/EEC of 14 June 1993 on the identification of controls, tell-tales and indicators for two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles [Official Journal L 188 of 29.07.1993].

Modified by the following:

Directive 2000/74/CE of the Commission, 22 November 2000 [Official Journal L 300 of 29.11.2000].

3) SUMMARY

Directive 93/29/CEE

The current directive comes under the type- approval procedure for two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles, initially introduced by Council Directive 92/61/EEC, amended 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 60 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE/UN).

Requirements concerning colour of tell-tales, geometric visibility of lights, installation and structure of model base for the symbols.

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 controls, tell-tales and indicators if the latter fulfil the technical requirements of this proposal 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 proposal.

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

Directive 2000/74/CE

From 1 January, 2002, Member States can not refuse to grant EC type-approval for a type of two- or three-wheel motor vehicle nor prohibit the registration, sale or entry into service of two- or three-wheel motor vehicles,

Annexes I and II of Directive 93/29/EEC are modified in conformity with the annex of the current directive.

Last updated: 14.07.2005