Ford calls for harmonised global vehicle standards

[SVT666]

I never said anyone's set of rules were simpler or cheaper.  I only questioned why 6 billion people had to bend to the will of a country of only 300 million.

They buy more cars than anyone else!?!!?  I don't think they should be one or the other, but maybe a marriage where the dumb ones are thrown out and the good ones are kept.

[MrH]

I never said anyone's set of rules were simpler or cheaper.  I only questioned why 6 billion people had to bend to the will of a country of only 300 million.

Because it's not 6 billion vs 300 million. The entire world doesn't represent the car buying market. A huge portion of the world is so poor, they'd laugh at the fact we're arguing about standardizing head lamps. They're just trying to stay alive.

We're the biggest market. In general I'd say we have less costly restrictions too. We have more of a free market (no displacement taxes or outrageous gas taxes trying to steer the industry), and consequently, the most cost effective set of regulations.

[Cookie Monster]

Uh, no. Canada has its own standards, which are mostly broadly the same as the US standards but much looser. ECE headlights are allowed in Canada, with some restrictions. "International" instrument warnings pictograms are allowed. That doesn't mean everything is accepted. Nor does it mean that everything required of the two sets of standards are required in Canada. There is no requirement that cars have airbags, for instance.

wat

BRB moving to canada

[SVT666]

wat

BRB moving to canada

You'll like this one: If a car is older than 15 years old there are no restrictions whatsoever for importing.  It doesn't even need a federal inspection after importing it.

[VTEC_Inside]

Yellow turn signals for everyone!!!!

And the peasants rejoiced.

[93JC]

You'll like this one: If a car is older than 15 years old there are no restrictions whatsoever for importing.  It doesn't even need a federal inspection after importing it.

E.g. earlier today I was stuck in traffic behind a 90-series Land Cruiser Prado.

[93JC]

Yellow turn signals for everyone!!!!

And the peasants rejoiced.

There are two standards I'd like changed; one is turn signals. They should be amber front AND back. There's no reason not to except that some people think an all-red tail lamp "looks better" and mandating an amber signal is infringing on people's personal freedom to buy cars with red turn signals (this was ChrisV's reasoning a couple years ago anyway...).

The other is headlights. Whether it's implementing level systems like they do in Europe or changing the beam pattern modern headlights are too bright and cause too much glare. HIDs should be illegal.

[280Z Turbo]

All (legal) HIDs are self leveling.

And customers don't like to pay for three color lens tools, I guess.

[MrH]

All (legal) HIDs are self leveling.

And customers don't like to pay for three color lens tools, I guess.

False. BRZs are manual leveling with a dial inside the cabin. Miata's were static.

[Cookie Monster]

You'll like this one: If a car is older than 15 years old there are no restrictions whatsoever for importing.  It doesn't even need a federal inspection after importing it.

What are the restrictions if it's less than 15 years old? I don't want to wait another 9 years to move to Canada.

I was already considering moving to Canada if I could find a job there. Now I definitely need to after school.

I need to move to Canada and take the airbags out of my car.

[2o6]

What the fuck is wrong with you? Airbags don't get in the fucking way, and it's not illegal to take them out in the USA.

[Laconian]

We went down this path with the painted reverse lights.

[MrH]

Rags just wants to be the lamest of law breakers, that's all

[Cookie Monster]

What the fuck is wrong with you? Airbags don't get in the fucking way, and it's not illegal to take them out in the USA.

Blow it out your ass.

We went down this path with the painted reverse lights.

You too.


And for the last time, my taillights aren't fucking painted. It's a plastic film.

[93JC]

All (legal) HIDs are self leveling.

I said ALL headlights should require leveling and/or modification of the beam pattern. AND, on top of that, HIDs should be illegal.

[Cookie Monster]

Rags just wants to be the lamest of law breakers, that's all

No, I don't even fit properly in my own damn car and I want a steering wheel that's closer to me. My knees end up hitting the steering wheel. That means I need an aftermarket one without an airbag.

Thanks to insurance, though, if I crash or if anyone ever crashes into me I'm fucked.

[CALL_911]

Rags just wants to be the lamest of law breakers, that's all

Really, why the fuck do you want to take your airbags out? 

[280Z Turbo]

False. BRZs are manual leveling with a dial inside the cabin. Miata's were static.

Hmmm. I've never seen one of ours without a motor.

[Cookie Monster]

Really, why the fuck do you want to take your airbags out? 

Can you even read?

[SVT666]

I said ALL headlights should require leveling and/or modification of the beam pattern. AND, on top of that, HIDs should be illegal.

HIDs are awesome and I will never buy another car without them.

[veeman]

Agree.  HIDs are awesome.  I really miss not having them in my sonata.  At least once a week someone flashes their high beams at my enclave (which has them) at night.  Looking at oncoming HIDs never bother me but different people have varying sensitivity to light.  Somewhere i heard that people with light colored irises are more sensitive?

[MrH]

I read people with blue eyes are more sensitive. I have blue eyes and have really sensitive night vision. However, HIDs don't bother me. People with misaligned headlights, lifted trucks, and people driving with their brights on are the worst. I'd say a good 5% of cars here have their brights on without realizing and/or caring.

[ChrisV]

There are two standards I'd like changed; one is turn signals. They should be amber front AND back. There's no reason not to except that some people think an all-red tail lamp "looks better" and mandating an amber signal is infringing on people's personal freedom to buy cars with red turn signals (this was ChrisV's reasoning a couple years ago anyway...).

If that's what you got out of what I said, then you weren't paying attention. There was nothing about the "personal freedom to buy cars with red turn signals."


What I said was there are not restrictions against amber signals here in the US, and many cars come with amber turn signals front and rear, including American cars over the years. ther are no requirements to make turn signals red, either.

BUT when given the freedom of not having to, many designers of foreign cars CHANGE to all red here in the US, even though it would be cheaper to retain the already used amber turn signals they had in Europe and Japan. So why would they do that? They aren't being told they have to make the lamps red, so what is the reason? Simply put, the designers, even in Europe and Japan, want red lights, so they make them that way as soon as they are allowed to. So why would European and Japanese designers WANT them all red?

And lastly, the arguments earlier about the US imposing its safety and emissions standards on the rest of the world have no bearing on this. Ford (and others) are not asking for one set of standards. They are not asking for OUR standards to be the world standards. What they are asking for is this: that cars built to conform to one set of standards be accepted by countries using the other set of standards. So cars built to Euro standards be accepted by the US (this is the primary driver of this request by Ford) and cars built to US standards be accepted by Europe.

[Raza]

Why can't we just have it so that either is acceptable? That way the automakers can decide if they want BRAKE or a brake disc icon instead.

The same could go for everything.

Not everyone in Europe speaks English.  But then again, it's not like pictures don't have their own issues.  I remember the first time I saw the CEL on my Passat, I was like "Oh shit, there's something wrong with my helicopter!"

[Raza]

Why should a country of 300 million get to dictate to the other six billion?  Attitudes like this are why the rest of the world hates us.

We have all the money and guns.  It's okay if they hate us.

[Raza]

There are two standards I'd like changed; one is turn signals. They should be amber front AND back. There's no reason not to except that some people think an all-red tail lamp "looks better" and mandating an amber signal is infringing on people's personal freedom to buy cars with red turn signals (this was ChrisV's reasoning a couple years ago anyway...).

This is something I don't get.  Years back, Audis had red taillamps, but the turn signals lit amber.  How has usage of the color wheel eluded all other manufacturers?  If you want red lamps, just change the bulb. 

[93JC]

If that's what you got out of what I said, then you weren't paying attention. There was nothing about the "personal freedom to buy cars with red turn signals."

I was paraphrasing. I freely admit that I don't pay much attention to anything you have to say.

[Madman]

Updated into on Ford's push for unified global standards.  It appears to be gaining steam in congress.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/04/ford-pushes-congress-for-vehicle-standards-harmonization/#more-484395

[Madman]

Here's an update.  As part of the ongoing negotiations for a free trade pact between the US and the EU, an agreement whereby both the US and EU would recognise each other's vehicle standards is in the works.

http://wardsauto.com/politics/us-eu-free-trade-deal-could-drive-global-vehicle-safety-standards

[Mustangfan2003]

Congress doing something?  No fucking way.