FYI: New Rules for vehicle exhaust emissions

[mx5go]

September 2006

New Rules for heavy-vehicles brakes and vehicle exhaust emissions and amendment to rule for traffic control devices

The Minister for Transport Safety, Hon. Harry Duynhoven, recently signed three new Rules – a conversion and review of existing legislation, a revision of an existing Rule and an amendment to an existing Rule.


1. Land Transport Rule: Heavy-vehicle Brakes 2006 (Rule 32015)

What is the purpose of this Rule?
The main purpose of the Rule is to reduce the number of road crashes caused by brake defects in heavy vehicles. Police and Land Transport NZ data shows that brake defects cause or contribute to more crashes than any other type of heavy vehicle defect. The Rule will encourage the use of advanced brake technology that can significantly improve heavy vehicle safety. The Rule also makes provision for an improved brake test during regular inservice certificate of fitness (CoF) inspections of heavy vehicles.

What changes does the Rule make and which vehicles will they affect?
The Rule sets out requirements aimed at ensuring that heavy vehicles and heavy-vehicle combinations can brake safely, with balanced brake performance, at any road-legal load condition. It applies to all heavy vehicles ie, those with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) that exceeds 3500 kg. It does not apply to articulated vehicles with a GVM exceeding 3500 kg if the GVM of each vehicle in the combination is less than 3500 kg.

The Rule will ensure that the brakes of domestically manufactured and modified vehicles meet equivalent requirements to those of imported vehicles. Brakes of all heavy vehicles will be tested in a way that evaluates performance for the laden condition, instead of unladen as at present, to help identify brake defects and improve maintenance standards. All heavy vehicles used in combination, that are first registered or modified in New Zealand from 1 July 2008, will have to be fitted with Load Sensing Valves or an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS).

When does the Rule come into force?
The Rule’s provisions start to apply on 1 March 2007 except, as indicated above, for those provisions relating to the introduction of better technology, which apply from 1 July 2008.


2. Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Exhaust Emissions 2006 (Rule 33001/1)

What is the purpose of this Rule?
This Rule revises and replaces Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Exhaust Emissions 2003 (the 2003 Rule) by including requirements for the in-service checking of vehicles for visible smoke. The visible smoke check will build on existing measures to control emissions and improve air quality by identifying and, if necessary, removing from the fleet, vehicles that are gross polluters. Overseas testing has shown a correlation between visible smoke emissions and the emission of harmful pollutants. The Rule complements Police enforcement of the existing ‘10-second smoky vehicle rule’, which applies only to vehicles when operating on a
road.

The 2003 Rule specifies vehicle exhaust emission manufacturing standards that vehicles must have been built to before they are certified for use on New Zealand’s roads. The revised Rule defers the application date for one of those standards – the Euro 4 standard.

This change will prevent problems with the supply of new heavy diesel vehicles by New Zealand vehicle importers as a result of the late adoption by the European Union of the Euro 4 emission standard. It will also allow time to ensure that a supply of urea is available in New Zealand to ensure that vehicles manufactured overseas with engines that operate with urea (to reduce emissions) are able to comply with Euro 4.

What are the changes, when do they apply and who will they affect?
Smoky vehicle test. Vehicle inspectors and certifiers will carry out a simple, subjective test on vehicles that present for a warrant of fitness (WoF) or certificate of fitness (CoF) inspection. If a vehicle fails it will have to be repaired before it will be allowed back on the road. The requirements will take effect when the Rule comes into force on 27 October 2006.

The requirements will apply to the owners of vehicles registered in New Zealand that are required by Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Standards Compliance 2002 to be certified for entry, re-entry or operation in service. They won’t apply to vehicles that are exempt from vehicle inspection or that are listed in the Rule as being a vehicle to which the Rule does not apply. In addition, the Rule does not apply to historic and other vehicles that produce a low level of smoke when operating, if their owners prove that the engine is original equipment for the vehicle and the engine’s design means that the vehicle cannot reasonably comply.

Euro 4 standard. Euro 4 will now apply to new-model or existing-model heavy-duty diesel vehicles (ie, more than 3500 kg) manufactured on or after 1 January 2008 and 1 January 2009 respectively. The respective application dates in the 2003 Rule were 1 January 2007 and 1 January 2008.


3. Land Transport Rule: Traffic Control Devices Amendment 2006 (Rule 54002/2)

What is the purpose of this amendment Rule?
This amendment Rule amends Land Transport Rule: Traffic Control Devices 2004 in order to correct some errors and clarify provisions.
What changes does the amendment Rule make and who will they affect?
The changes made by amendment Rule include allowing fixed signs to be used at ramp signals instead of variable signs, which have a higher risk of failure than fixed signs and potential for vandalism or damage; clarifying provisions relating to pedestrian crossings and pedestrian traffic signals, and to school bus signs; amending definitions and inserting new traffic signs and amending existing signs and markings in the Rule schedules. These changes will largely affect road controlling authorities, and will also apply to school bus operators.

When does this amendment Rule come into force?
This amendment Rule starts to apply on 6 October 2006.


4. Where can I get copies of these Rules?

These three Rules are available (in bound format) at selected bookshops that sell legislation, or direct from Wickliffe Limited, freephone 0800 226 440. Wickliffe also offers a standing order service for Rules in loose-leaf format.


5. How can I get more information about the Rules?

Check out the Land Transport NZ website for the Questions and Answers (Vehicle Exhaust Emissions and Heavy-vehicle Brakes only) or, for further information on all three Rules, contact the Land Transport NZ Help Desk on 0800 699 000.

[poison]

All good in my book, there are some ridiculously Smokey 4WD's on the road, and they should do the same for humans that smoke, delete them both from the gene pool. They both can give us non smokers cancer and nasty smells. I can't see too many MX5's having issues with this law change.
 
OK smokers (both types) start your bitching....
 
 
 
 


[Posted via External Email]

[Fletch]

Considering all the words above.... they still dont actually spell out what "the test" is....

I recall it having something to do with five seconds.... ie, producing smoke for a short time is permissable.... but I'd like to know whether that 5 sec is correct, and also, under what conditions? They have to raise the RPM.... but how far? I dont like the idea of anyone stepping on my accellerator and revving up to 6000 rpm for five seconds unloaded.... so, how high? 2000 RPM? 4000? How do they know on cars without rev-counters?

It would be nice to know how to replicate the test in advance of your car failing, so you have time to remedy the problem before they ban your car from the road...

Fletch.

[Euen]

The other issue is how they will simulate a load on the engine. Many of the offending vehicles are actually not too bad until they hit an incline or have a load on and then suddenly the air behind them is absolutely black.