What kinds of safety and environmental standards are there for motor vehicles traveling in Japan?
In order to ensure motor vehicle safety and to prevent environmental pollution, concrete technical standards (safety regulations) are established and are designed to meet with international standards.
1. In order to ensure vehicle safety and to prevent environmental pollution caused by motor vehicles (such as air and noise pollution), technical standards for securing safety of vehicles, preventing environmental pollution, and conserving the environment is established, concerning structure and equipment in accordance with the Road Vehicles Law (safety regulations of the road vehicles; hereinafter referred to as "safety regulations"). Vehicles that do not conform to the safety standards cannot be operated.
2. The safety standards prescribe the structure of motor vehicles (such as length and height of vehicles, loading capacity of wheels), equipment (such as engines, wheels, lightings, noise control devices and exhaust emission control devices), riding capacity and loading capacity. Since its establishment, the safety standards have been successively reviewed to cope with actual traffic conditions, accidents and vehicle-related environmental pollution, changes in the traffic environment and technological development. Consequently, they are being designed to meet with international standards.
3. Furthermore, in 1998 Japan joined in the UN Agreement concerning the adoption of uniform technical prescriptions for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or be used on wheeled vehicles and the conditions for reciprocal recognition of approvals granted on the basis of these prescriptions (43 member nations and 1 regional organization), which is UN agreement to unify equipment standards and mutual approval and the Road Vehicles Law were amended. They were for the purpose of simplifying examinations on motor vehicle certification and promoting international harmonization on a certification by omitting Japanese certification and type designation for equipment obtained a type certification granted by member countries.