Regulation No. 78/549/EEC

Regulation 78/549/EEC , published by the European Parliament and of the Council , is a Council directive on the approximation of Member States' laws relating to wheel guards for motor vehicles.

Within the scope of this directive, vehicle means any motor vehicle of category M25 designed for road use, having at least four wheels and a maximum design speed exceeding 1 km/h. Category M is generally used for passenger transport. Vehicles of category M1 are vehicles (mainly cars) which have no more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat.

No Member State may refuse to grant EEC type-approval or national type-approval to a vehicle on grounds relating to wheel guards, provided that the requirements set out in the Annex to this Regulation are met. Nor may it refuse or prohibit the sale, registration, entry into service or use of any vehicle on grounds relating to wheel guards.

The general requirements from this regulation are explained as follows:

• The motor vehicle must be equipped with wheel protectors (body parts, mudguards, etc.).
• Wheel guards should be designed to protect other road users, as far as possible, from thrown stones, mud, ice, snow and water and to reduce the hazards to these users arising from contact with moving wheels.

Specific requirements outlined in this regulation include:

• Wheel guards must meet the following requirements when the vehicle is running and the wheels are in the full forward position:
  • The total width of the wheel protectors, in the section formed by the radial planes that make an angle of 30 degrees forward and 50 degrees rearward from the centre of the wheels, must be sufficient to cover at least the total width of the tyre, taking into account the extreme points of the tyre/rim combination specified by the manufacturer and the certificate in the annex to the regulation. In the case of twin wheels, the total width over the two tyres must be taken into account.
  • For the purpose of determining the widths specified above, labelling (marking) and decorations, protective bands or ribs on the tyre sides are not taken into account.

The rear of the wheel guards must not terminate on a horizontal plane 150 mm above the axis of rotation of the wheels (as measured at the wheel centres) and furthermore the point of intersection of the edge of the wheel guard with this plane must lie outside the median longitudinal plane of the tyre or, in the case of twin wheels, the median longitudinal plane of the outermost tyre.

The contour and position of the wheel protectors must be such that they are as close as possible to the tyre and, particularly within the part formed by the radial planes mentioned above, must meet the following requirements:

• The depth projection of the outer edge of the wheel guards (located in the vertical plane of the tyre axis) shall be at least 30 mm when measured in the vertical longitudinal plane passing through the centre of the tyre. This depth may be gradually reduced to zero in the radial planes indicated above.
• The distance between the lower edges of the wheel guards and the axis passing through the centre of the wheels must not exceed the distance that is the static radius of the tyre.

For vehicles with adjustable suspension height, the above-mentioned requirements must be met when the vehicle is in the normal operating position specified by the manufacturer.

• Wheel guards can consist of several components, provided that there are no gaps between or within the individual parts when assembled.
• Wheel guards must be securely attached. However, they can be removed as a unit or in parts.

In terms of the use of chains, the manufacturer must certify that the vehicle has been designed in such a way that at least one type of snow chain can be used on at least one of the tyre types approved for the drive wheels of the vehicle in question. A suitable chain/tyre combination for the vehicle must be specified by the manufacturer and stated in the relevant section of the certificate set out in the annex to this regulation.

Application for EEC type approval:

• Application for EEC type-approval of a vehicle type with regard to wheel protectors must be made by the vehicle manufacturer or its authorised representative.
• It must be submitted in three copies with the following documents and information:
  • Detailed description of vehicle type regarding wheel protectors
  • Detailed drawings showing the location of the wheel guards on the vehicle.
• A vehicle representative of the vehicle type to be approved must be submitted to the technical service responsible for conducting type-approval tests.

Our organization has a strong staff that closely follows the developments in the world in the field of science and technology and constantly improves itself. Among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies provided for businesses in various sectors, there are also test services within the scope of regulation numbered 78/549/EEC.