Provisional Translation
| OTO No. | 379 | Classification | MOT-32 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of Acceptance | September 1, 1989 | Ministry/Agency Receiving Complaint | Ministry of International Trade and Industry |
| Responsible Ministries | Ministry of Transport | Related Laws | Road Vehicles Law |
| Complainant | Domestic firm | Exporting Countries | USA |
| Subject | Relaxation of the Safety Regulation for road vehicles with regards to the inspection of imported camping cars. | ||
| Details of Measures | When the complainant applied for new vehicle registration for a camper imported from the United States, application was rejected on the grounds that the vehicles violates the Safety Regulations for Road Vehicles for vehicle overhang (the stipulation being that, for vehicles such as this one in which there is the likelihood that materials will be transported protruding from the rear of the vehicle, the horizontal distance from the center of the rear most axle to the rear-ender of the vehicle shall not exceed two-thirds of the horizontal distance between the centers of the front axle to the center of rear axle). However, the complainant has argued that the purpose of this standard is ensure an even weight distribution between the front and rear axles and hence to ensure safe operation and has asked for review of the standard to simply specify that safe weigh distribution balance be assured. After studying and considering vehicle overhang standards in order countries, the Ministry of Transport has found that there are no comparable standards in the United States but that standards in most other countries stipulate that this overhang distance be between one-half and two-thirds of the front and rear axles. In many cases, this stipulation is justified by concern that excessive overhang may result in excessive over swing and hence obstruct other traffic. Given that the Japanese standard was formulated consistent with this approach and given the degree of traffic congestion in Japan, it is believed necessary to require continued observance of this standard in Japan as in other countries. It was further explained that Japan stands ready to promptly review its standards if vehicle overhang standards are generally reviewed worldwide. |
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| Classification of Processing | D | Directions | I-a |
| Remarks | |||