Division Classification of vehicles
United Kingdom
The road traffic noise source shall be determined by combining the noise emission of each individual vehicle forming the traffic flow. These vehicles are grouped into five separate categories with regard to their characteristics of noise emission:
Light motor vehicles
Medium heavy vehicles
Heavy vehicles
Powered two-wheelers
Open category
In the case of powered two-wheelers, two separate subclasses are defined for mopeds and more powerful motorcycles, since they operate in very different driving modes and their numbers usually vary widely.
The first four categories shall be used, and the fifth category is optional. It is foreseen for new vehicles that may be developed in the future and may be sufficiently different in their noise emission to require an additional category to be defined. This category could cover, for example, electric or hybrid vehicles or any vehicle developed in the future substantially different from those in categories 1 to 4.
The details of the different vehicle classes are given in Table [2.2.a].
Table [2.2.a]
Vehicle classes
| Directive 2007/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 September 2007 establishing a framework for the approval of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles (OJ L 263, 9.10.2007, p. 1). | ||||
| Sport Utility Vehicles. | ||||
| Multi-Purpose Vehicles. | ||||
| Category | Name | Description | Vehicle category in ECWhole Vehicle Type Approvalf1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Light motor vehicles | Passenger cars, delivery vans ≤ 3,5 tons, SUVsf2, MPVsf3 including trailers and caravans | M1 and N1 | |
| 2 | Medium heavy vehicles | Medium heavy vehicles, delivery vans > 3,5 tons, buses, motorhomes, etc. with two axles and twin tyre mounting on rear axle | M2, M3 and N2, N3 | |
| 3 | Heavy vehicles | Heavy duty vehicles, touring cars, buses, with three or more axles | M2 and N2 with trailer, M3 and N3 | |
| 4 | Powered two-wheelers | 4a | Two-, Three- and Four-wheel Mopeds | L1, L2, L6 |
| 4b | Motorcycles with and without sidecars, Tricycles and Quadricycles | L3, L4, L5, L7 | ||
| 5 | Open category | To be defined according to future needs | N/A | |
Annotations
Footnotes
- f1
-
Directive 2007/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 September 2007 establishing a framework for the approval of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles (OJ L 263, 9.10.2007, p. 1).
- f2
-
Sport Utility Vehicles.
- f3
-
Multi-Purpose Vehicles.