Type Approval Information - Tyres, noise etc

[Heuer]

A discussion on Jag-Lovers brought up the frequently discussed issue of tyre speed ratings. The latest legislative document is 'The Motor Vehicles (Approval) Regulations 2001' : http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001 ... tents/made

It makes interesting reading:

"Schedule 3
Item 16 - Tyres

1. Every tyre (not being a retreaded tyre) fitted to the vehicle shall bear an approval mark in accordance with the requirements of Directive 92/23/EEC or ECE Regulation 30.
2. Every retreaded tyre fitted to the vehicle shall bear a mark in accordance with paragraph 6 of BS AU 144e?1988 or a corresponding standard and the indication given by the mark must not be false in a material particular.
3. Each tyre fitted to the vehicle shall bear marks that were moulded on to or into the tyre at the time that it was manufactured which provide the following service information?
(a)nominal size;
(b)construction type (e.g. radial ply);
(c)load capacity; and
(d)speed capability.
4. Each tyre fitted to the vehicle shall be of a nominal size appropriate to the wheel to which it is fitted.
5. Tyres on the same axle shall be of the same nominal size and of the same construction type. If radial tyres are fitted to the front axle, they shall also be fitted to the rear and if bias-belted tyres are fitted to the front axle, radial or bias-belted tyres shall be fitted to the rear.
6. Each wheel on each axle shall be equipped with a tyre which has a load capacity such that when the axle is loaded to its maximum permitted axle weight, the weight transmitted to the road surface by that tyre does not exceed that load capacity.
7. The speed capability of all tyres fitted shall be not less than the maximum design speed of the vehicle."

Noise and Silencers is interesting as well:

"Item 13 - Noise and Silencers

1. The vehicle shall be fitted with an exhaust system including a silencer such that the exhaust gases shall not escape into the atmosphere without first passing through the silencer.
2. When?
(a)the vehicle is held stationary on a level surface such that there is an unobstructed area not less than 3 metres wide all around the vehicle; and
(b)the engine by which the vehicle is propelled is run at a constant rotational speed of 3/4 S (s = maximum revs),
the noise measured at 0.5 metres from the exhaust outlet at 45 degrees to the axis of the outlet pipe in a horizonatal plane, shall not exceed 101db(A)."

I am not well versed enough with the law to know whether these rules are for Type Approval of new vehicles or are retrospectively applied unless otherwise exempted. The only historical document I can find on line is 'The Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1978' which makes no mention of tyre speed ratings but does cover noise from silencers. It also lists vehicle makes and models exempt from certain regulations (Lotus, Daimler, TVR, Marcos, Wartburg, Morris, Wolsey etc amongst many). There is a copy here if anyone is interested: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/8496016/uksi_19781017_en.pdf

Here are some extracts from the 1978 Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) legislation:





Any thoughts from someone with a legal bent? (Christopher?_

[e-bygum]

The quote from the 2001 Regs.-- "7. The speed capability of all tyres fitted shall be not less than the maximum design speed of the vehicle."
"Maximum design speed" must therefore be legally specified for each and every vehicle for this Reg. to be enforceable.
Does anyone know what the "maximum design speed " of our cars is or where it can be found?
"V" rated tyres are for speeds up to 149 mph which on the face of it makes them illegal if our cars have a "maximum design speed" of 150mph.

[Heuer]

Whilst I was looking at legislation I thought I might try and put the other E-Type legal 'chestnut' to bed - that of the front registration number location. This is from the The Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 1971.



The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 supercedes that regulation but does not over rule it:

"(3) This paragraph requires each plate to be fixed?

(a)in a vertical position or, where that is not possible, in a position as close to the vertical as is reasonably practicable, and
(b)in such a position that in normal daylight the characters of the registration mark are easily distinguishable, in the case of a plate fixed on the front of the vehicle, from in front of the vehicle and, in the case of a plate fixed on the rear of the vehicle or trailer, from behind the vehicle or trailer."

So sticking the number plate on the bonnet of the E-Type is quite legal because it is legible from every part of the "relevant area".

[wol916]

As far as the noise limit goes that is the same limit that was applied to rally cars when I was competing - may be lower now - believe me this is quite loud. If your every day car were this loud it would become annoying very quickly I used to hate driving the rally car on the road and in competition used a road head set in order to talk to the co-driver and block out the exhaust noise.

Warren

[christopher storey]

These are Type Approval Regulations, and have nothing to do with use ! The Canadian gentleman who raised this hare on the Jag Lovers site might do better if he read the whole set of regulations rather than cherry picking . There is some doubt even that an E fitted with with orginal SP41 radials would be refused approval , because the original fitment of these tyres was specifically subject to a condition , set out at page M3 of the workshop manual , that with these tyres the maximum speed of the vehicle was to be restricted to 125 mph . It is therefore an arguable ( but irrelevant since the Type Approval regulations were then but a gleam in their Daddy's eye) point that the design speed of the car with such tyres was 125 mph . This is the sort of thing which could occupy the High Court for days - as indeed it did in one case in which I appeared where the question for the court to answer was whether an HGV trailer parked in a layby without its tractor unit was being used by the operator

[Heuer]

The quote from the 2001 Regs.-- "7. The speed capability of all tyres fitted shall be not less than the maximum design speed of the vehicle."
"Maximum design speed" must therefore be legally specified for each and every vehicle for this Reg. to be enforceable.
Does anyone know what the "maximum design speed " of our cars is or where it can be found?
"V" rated tyres are for speeds up to 149 mph which on the face of it makes them illegal if our cars have a "maximum design speed" of 150mph.

Maximum speed was defined by the axle ratio and maximum revs of the engine as stated in the Owners Handbook (e.g on the 4.2 "The safe maximum engine speed is 5,500 rpm. Engines must not, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, be allowed to exceed this figure"). This equates to about 140mph on the 4.2 and not much more on the 3.8 when fitted with a 3.07 diff so within the VR speed lmit.

[Heuer]

Thank you Christopher - I was hoping you would cast some light on the subject. The screen captures above are from the Construction & Use regulations which I believe do apply to all motor vehicles. The Type Approval regulations I assume are there for manufacturers to meet the legislation for all cars released after that date - 2001?