Logo

Outline of International harmonization of safety regulations

Significance of International Harmonization

• Breaking down technological trade barriers among partners trading motor vehicles through international harmonization of motor vehicle safety regulations
• Augmentation of national competitiveness through reduction of costs and time spent in motor vehicle development by the manufacturers

Background for international harmonization

• All countries of the world enacts and operates safety regulations cut out for the actual circumstances of one’s own country to secure the level of motor vehicle safety.
• Technological trade barrier arises as a result of moving forward with trade liberalization due to the increase in motor vehicle trade volume.
• The world tends to work out this problem and seek international harmonization of safety regulations to procure competitiveness in the motor vehicle industry of one’s own nation.

Necessity of international harmonization

• Increase in costs of motor vehicle development due to different safety regulations country by country and settlement of obstructive factors in international trade
• We need to push forward with international harmonization on a national level to improve international standards of motor vehicle safety level

Expected effects

• Increase in costs of motor vehicle development due to different safety regulations country by country and settlement of stumbling blocks in international trade
• We need to push forward with international harmonization on a national level to improve international standards of motor vehicle safety level

Execution of investigation projects of safety-related defects

• Protection of consumers through improvement of level of motor vehicle safety
  - Protection of public lives and properties through safe motor vehicle operation and beefing
• up competitiveness in export
  - motor vehicle producer in the world by improvement in the level of safety throughinternational harmonization of safety regulations and cross-certification, coupled with shortening of development period and cost reduction, etc.
• The world's major producer of automobiles fortification of national status
  - Fortification of national status through active participation in the enactment and revision of international standards and settlement of international trade
• conflicts as a WP29 member nation
  - Prevention of trade frictions through international harmonization of safety regulations

Consultative body for international harmonization of safety standard

UN/ECE/WP29

• This was established in Geneva, Switzerland in 1952 aimed at harmonization of motor vehicle safety regulations and cross-certification in the European region.
• The body runs the 1958 Agreement and 1998 Agreement.
• The body holds an annual average of 15 official conferences such as general assembly, conferences with specialist groups, etc.
  *6 fields of the specialist groups : GRSG(General safety), GRSP(Collision/shock), GRE(lighting), GRRF(braking/driving), GRB(noise), GRPE(exhaust, environment)
• 1958 Agreement: Agreement on international harmonization of motor vehicle safety regulations and cross-certification
  (Agreement concerning the adoption of uniform technical prescriptions for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or be on wheeled vehicles and the conditions for reciprocal recognition of approvals granted on the basis of these prescriptions)
• 1998 Agreement: Agreement on international harmonization of motor vehicle safety regulations and cross-certification
  (Agreement concerning the establishing of global technical regulations for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or be used on wheeled vehicles)
  * WP29 : World Forum for Harmonization of vehicle regulations