Home → Updates → Legal → The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Automated Vehicles) Order 2022
The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Automated Vehicles) Order 2022
Jurisdiction: Great Britain
Commencement: 1st July 2022
Amends: The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986
Mini Summary
The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 aim to ensure that vehicles are made to high standards, to ensure that such standards are maintained while in use and that they are roadworthy. The Regulations state that it is an offence to use a road vehicle if it is emitting smoke, visible vapour, grit, sparks, ashes, cinders or oily substances in such a way as is likely to cause damage to property or injure any person.
Duties
Emissions levels shall be checked as part of the annual MOT for cars and roadworthiness checks for HGVs and stipulate for:
Petrol engine vehicles first used on or after 1st August 1975 and before 1st August 1986, CO should not exceed 4.5% of total exhaust emissions by volume and HC 0.12 volume. Those used after 1st August 1986 and before 1st August 1992, Co not to exceed 3.5% and HC 0.12% respectively.
For diesel fuelled passenger cars and light commercials less than 3,500 kg, first used before 1st August 1995 visual inspections only required. For all other diesel vehicles maximum smoke value to be 3.0 per metre or for turbos 2.5 per metre.
For petrol vehicles first used on or after 1st August 1992 and other vehicles 1st August 1994 listed in DETR publication In Service Exhaust Emission Standards for Road Vehicles, will be required to meet emissions limits specified by the manufacturer.
Amendment
Drivers of an automated vehicle must be able to view information displayed on any built-in apparatus within the vehicle. This is to ensure that the driver is aware of any requests to take control of the vehicle.
Regulation 109 prohibits drivers from viewing television or cinematographic apparatus while driving for reasons other than displaying information:
- about the state of the vehicle or its equipment;
- about the location of the vehicle and the road on which it is located;
- to assist the driver to see the road adjacent to the vehicle; or
- to assist the driver to reach their destination.
Regulation 109 is updated to enable drivers of automated vehicles to view information of any sort (including non-driving related information) provided:
- the vehicle is driving itself and is not requesting the driver to take control; and
- the information is viewed through the vehicle’s in-built apparatus.
This amendment has no direct relevance to environmental matters.
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