Audible Motor Vehicle Alarms Bill

House of Commons

Session 2004 - 05
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

Audible Motor Vehicle Alarms Bill

Audible Motor Vehicle Alarms Bill

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A

Bill

To

establish requirements about the noise levels of, and the duration of noise

emitted by, audible alarms within motor vehicles; to make provision about

tests on motor vehicles in that connection; and for connected purposes.

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and

consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present

Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

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Amendment of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986

(1)

The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 (S.I. 1986/1078)

are amended as follows.

(2)

In regulation 3(2) (interpretation), in the Table, at the appropriate place in

alphabetical order, insert—

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Expression

Meaning

“audible

a system fitted within a motor vehicle which involves the

motor vehicle

sounding of a horn, bell, gong or siren with the purpose of

alarm

raising an alarm as to the theft or attempted theft of the vehicle

or its contents, or a forced entry or attempted forced entry into

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the vehicle.

bell

includes references to any instrument or apparatus capable of

emitting a sound similar to that emitted by a bell.

gong

includes references to any instrument or apparatus capable of

emitting a sound similar to that emitted by a gong.

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horn

an instrument, not being a bell, gong or siren, capable of giving

audible and sufficient warning of the approach or position of

the vehicle to which it is fitted.

siren

includes references to any instrument or apparatus capable of

emitting a sound similar to that emitted by a siren.”

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Bill 58 53/4

Audible Motor Vehicle Alarms Bill

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(3)

In regulation 37 (audible warning instruments)—

(a)

for paragraphs (7) and (8) substitute—

“(7)

The provisions of paragraph (4) shall not apply so as to make it

unlawful for a vehicle to be fitted with—

(a)

an audible car alarm, or

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(b)

in the case of a bus, a bell, gong or siren the purpose of

which is to summon help for the driver, conductor or an

inspector.”;

(b)

in paragraph (9), for the words “(4) to (8)”, substitute the words “(4) to

(7)”; and

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(c)

in paragraph (10), omit sub-paragraphs (a) and (b).

(4)

In regulation 99(5) (exemptions from general restrictions on use of audible

warning instruments), omit the word “or” after paragraph (a), and for

paragraph (b) substitute—

“(b)

an audible car alarm, or

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(c)

in the case of a bus, a horn (not being a two-tone horn), bell,

gong or siren to summon help for the driver, the conductor or

an inspector.”

(5)

After regulation 99, insert—

“99A

Restrictions on audible motor vehicle alarms on certain motor vehicles

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first used on or after 1st January 2007

(1)

Subject to paragraph (2), this regulation applies to a motor vehicle first

used on or after 1st January 2007.

(2)

The provisions of this regulation do not apply to—

(a)

motor vehicles of the kinds listed in regulation 37(5), or

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(b)

buses.

(3)

The audible motor vehicle alarm of a motor vehicle to which this

regulation applies—

(a)

may not at any time emit a noise exceeding 55 decibels,

(b)

may not emit a noise for a continuous period of more than

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ninety seconds,

(c)

may not emit a noise for more than ninety seconds in response

to a single event initiating the emitting of a noise, and

(d)

shall be maintained in good working order so as to comply with

the requirements of sub-paragraphs (a) to (c).

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(4)

In this regulation—

‘A-weighted sound pressure level’ has the same meaning as that

given in BS 7445;

‘BS 7445’ means British Standard BS7445: Part 1 1991/

International Standard ISO 1996-1: 1982 ‘Description and

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measurement of environmental noise. Part 1. Guide to

quantities and procedures’;

‘decibel’ is a unit of both A-weighted sound pressure level and

equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level as

given in BS 7445.

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Audible Motor Vehicle Alarms Bill

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99B

General restrictions on audible motor vehicle alarms on certain motor

vehicles first used before 1st January 2007

(1)

Subject to paragraph (2), this regulation applies to a motor vehicle first

used on or after 1st October 1982.

(2)

The provisions of this regulation do not apply to—

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(a)

motor vehicles to which regulation 99A applies,

(b)

motor vehicles of the kinds listed in regulation 37(5), or

(c)

buses.

(3)

The audible motor vehicle alarm of a motor vehicle to which this

regulation applies—

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(a)

may not emit a noise for a continuous period of more than

ninety seconds,

(b)

may not emit a noise for more than ninety seconds in response

to a single event initiating the emitting of a noise, and

(c)

shall be maintained in good working order so as to comply with

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the requirements of sub-paragraphs (a) and (b).”

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Amendment of the Motor Vehicles (Tests) Regulations 1981

(1)

The Motor Vehicles (Tests) Regulations 1981 (S.I. 1981/1694) are amended as

follows.

(2)

In regulation 20 (fees for examinations)—

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(a)

in paragraph (3A)(b), after the reference to “anti-lock braking system

warning device”, insert—

“audible motor vehicle alarm”; and

(b)

in paragraph (7)(c), before sub-sub-paragraph (i), insert

“(ai)

audible motor vehicle alarm,”.

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(3)

In Schedule 2 (the prescribed statutory requirements)—

(a)

in paragraph 1(a) (which relates to light motor bicycles and motor

bicycles), in the Table, after the row relating to item 5A, insert—

Item No.

Regulations

Affecting

“5B

99A and 99B

Audible Motor Vehicle

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Alarm”

(b)

in paragraph 2(a) (which relates to light motor vehicles other than

motor bicycles), after the reference to item 4, insert “5B”;

(c)

in paragraph 3(a) (which relates to motor cars and heavy motor cars),

after the reference to item 4, insert “5B”;

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(d)

in paragraph 3A(a) (which relates to certain minibuses), after the

reference to item 4, insert “5B”;

(e)

in paragraph 4(a) (which relates to certain passenger-carrying and

public service vehicles), after the reference to item 4, insert “5B”;

(f)

in paragraph 4A (which relates to certain passenger-carrying and

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public service vehicles with forward-facing seats), after the reference to

item 4, insert “5B”;

Audible Motor Vehicle Alarms Bill

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(g)

in paragraph 5(a) (which relates to certain public service vehicles), after

the reference to item 4, insert “5B”;

(h)

in paragraph 5A(a) (which relates to certain public service vehicles),

after the reference to item 4, insert “5B”; and

(i)

in paragraph 6 (which relates to certain goods vehicles), after the

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reference to item 4, insert “5B”.

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Amendment of the Goods Vehicles (Plating and Testing) Regulations 1988

(1)

The Goods Vehicles (Plating and Testing) Regulations 1988 (S.I. 1988/1478) are

amended as follows.

(2)

In regulation 16 (fees for re-tests), in paragraph (6)(c)(i), for the words “and 16”,

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substitute the words “16 and 16A”.

(3)

In paragraph 1 of Schedule 3 (the prescribed construction and use

requirements), in the Table, after the row relating to item 16, insert—

Item No.

Regulation

Subject Matter

“16A

99A and 99B

Audible motor vehicle

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alarm”

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Short title, commencement and extent

(1)

This Act may be cited as the Audible Motor Vehicle Alarms Act 2005.

(2)

This Act shall come into force on 1 January 2007.

(3)

This Act does not extend to Northern Ireland.

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