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The '''Vienna Convention on Road Traffic''' is an international [[treaty]] designed to facilitate international road traffic and to increase road safety by standardising the [[Traffic#Rules of the road|uniform traffic rules]] among the contracting parties. This convention was agreed upon at the [[United Nations Economic and Social Council]]'s Conference on Road Traffic (October 7, 1968 - November 8, 1968) and done in Vienna on 8 November 1968. It came into force on 21 May 1977. This conference also produced the [[Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals]].
The '''Vienna Convention on Road Traffic''' is an international [[treaty]] designed to facilitate international road traffic and to increase road safety by establishing [[Traffic#Rules of the road|standard traffic rules]] among the contracting parties. The convention was agreed upon at the [[United Nations Economic and Social Council]]'s Conference on Road Traffic (October 7, 1968 - November 8, 1968) and done in Vienna on 8 November 1968. It came into force on 21 May 1977. The convention has been ratifed by 70 countries, but those who have not ratified the convention may still be parties to the 1949 [[Geneva Convention on Road Traffic]]. This conference also produced the [[Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals]].


==Cross border vehicles==
==Cross border vehicles==

Revision as of 22:02, 20 February 2012

Vienna Convention on Road Traffic
  ratified
  signed, but not ratified
Signed8 November 1968
LocationVienna
Effective21 May 1977
ConditionRatification by 5 states
Signatories36
Parties70 (as of January 2012)[1]
DepositaryUN Secretary-General
LanguagesEnglish and French
Full text
Vienna Convention on Road Traffic at Wikisource

The Vienna Convention on Road Traffic is an international treaty designed to facilitate international road traffic and to increase road safety by establishing standard traffic rules among the contracting parties. The convention was agreed upon at the United Nations Economic and Social Council's Conference on Road Traffic (October 7, 1968 - November 8, 1968) and done in Vienna on 8 November 1968. It came into force on 21 May 1977. The convention has been ratifed by 70 countries, but those who have not ratified the convention may still be parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic. This conference also produced the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals.

Cross border vehicles

One of the main benefits of the convention for motorists is the obligation on signatory countries to recognise the legality of vehicles from other signatory countries. The following requirements must be met when driving outside the country of registration:

  • Cars must display their registration number at the front and rear, even if legislation in the jurisdiction of registration does not require a front vehicle registration plate on cars. Motorcycles need display their registration number only at the rear. Registration numbers must be displayed in Latin characters and Arabic numerals. In addition to this, the registration number may optionally be displayed in a different alphabet.
  • A distinguishing sign of the country of registration must be displayed on the rear of the vehicle. The physical requirements for this sign are defined in Annex 3 of the convention, which states that it must comprise black writing on a white oval background and that it must not form part of the vehicle's registration number. In practice, the requirement to display the white oval is mutually waived between some countries, for example between many European countries (where the white oval may be substituted by a blue strip on the vehicle registration plate) and between Canada, the United States and Mexico (where the province or state of registration is usually embossed or surface-printed on the vehicle registration plate).
  • The vehicle must meet all technical requirements to be legal for road use in the country of registration. Any conflicting technical requirements (e.g. right-hand-drive or left-hand-drive) in the signatory country where the vehicle is being driven do not apply.
  • The driver must carry the vehicle's registration certificate, and if the vehicle is not registered in the name of an occupant of the vehicle (for example a hire car), proof of the driver's right to be in possession of the vehicle.

Mainland China is the most notable example of a non-signatory country. Short-term tourists are not allowed to bring cars into Mainland China at all. All foreign registered vehicles in mainland China must display a mainland Chinese vehicle registration plate. This requirement even applies to vehicles from China's special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

The convention also addresses minimum mechanical and safety equipment needed to be on board and defines an Identification mark (Annex 4) to identify the origin of the vehicle.

Contracting Parties

  ratified
  signed, but not ratified

The Vienna Convention on Road Traffic was done at Vienna on 8 November 1968. Since its entry into force on 21 May 1977, in signatory countries ("Contracting Parties") it replaces previous road traffic Conventions, notably the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, in accordance with Article 48 of the Convention.

Therefore, this list of Contracting Parties is no longer valid, and at least the US, Australia and New Zealand are not contracting parties to the 1968 agreement, meaning that the 1949 agreement still applies there.[2][3]

International conventions on transit transport

The broad objective of these International Conventions and Agreements, the Depositary of which is the Secretary-General of the United Nations, is to facilitate international transport while providing for a high level of safety, security and environmental protection in transport[4]:

  • Agreement on the International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs and on the Special Equipment to be used for such Carriage (1970).
  • Convention on Customs Treatment of Pool Containers Used in International Transport (1994).
  • Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods By Road (1956) and its Protocol (1978).
  • Convention concerning Customs Facilities for Touring (1954).
  • Customs Convention on Containers (1972).
  • Customs Convention on the Temporary Importation of Commercial Road Vehicles (1956).
  • Customs Convention on the Temporary Importation of Private Road Vehicles (1954).
  • European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR)(1957) and its Protocol amending articles 1 and 14 (1993).
  • Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (1949).
  • European Agreement concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles engaged in International Road Transport (1970).
  • International Convention to Facilitate the Crossing of Frontiers for Passengers and Baggage carried by Rail (1952).
  • International Convention to Facilitate the Crossing of Frontiers for Goods Carried by Rail (1952).
  • International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods (1982).
  • TIR Convention.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Status of 19 . Convention on Road Traffic". United Nations. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  2. ^ Legal instruments in the field of transport United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
  3. ^ Participants to the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, 19 september 1949
  4. ^ 2004 Treaty Seminar Issues Notes

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:
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