Geneva, 1969
TABLE OF CONTENTS FINAL ACT AND RELATED DOCUMENTS
I Page Final Act of the United Nations Conference on Road Traffic
II Convention on Road Traffic
Article 1 - Definitions
Article 2 - Annexes to the Convention
Article 3 - Obligations of the Contracting Parties
Article 4 - Signs and Signals
Article 5 - Status of Signs and Signals
Article 6 - Instructions given by authorized Officials
Article 7 - General Rules
Article 8 - Drivers
Article 9 - Flocks and Herds
Article 10 - Position on the Carriageway
Article 11 - Overtaking and Movement of Traffic in Lines
Article 12 - Passing of Oncoming Traffic
Article 13 - Speed and Distance Between Vehicles
Article 14 - General Requirements Governing Maneuvers
Article 15 - Special Regulations relating to Regular Public-Transport Service Vehicles
Article 16 - Change of Direction
Article 17 - Slowing down
Article 18 - Intersections and Obligations to give Way
Article 19 - Level-crossings
Article 20 - Rules applicable to Pedestrians
Article 21 - Behaviour of Drivers towards Pedestrians
Article 22 - Islands on the Carriageway
Article 23 - Standing and Parking
Article 24 - Opening of Doors
Article 25 - Motorways and Similar Roads
Article 26 - Special rules applicable to Procession and Handicapped Persons
Article 27 - Special Rules applicable to Cyclists, Mopped Drivers and Motor Cyclists.
Article 28 - Audible and Luminous Warnings
Article 29 - Rail-bome Vehicles
Article 30 - Loading of Vehicles
Article 31 - Behaviors in Case of Accident
Article 32 - Lighting: General Requirements
Article 33 - Lighting: Rules ofor the Use of the Lights specified in Annex 5
Article 34 - Exemptions
Article 35 - Registration
Article 36 - Registration Number
Article 37 - Distinguishing Sign of the State of Registration
Article 38 - Identification Marks
Article 39 - Technical Requirements
Article 40 - Transitional Provision
Article 41 - Validity of Driving Licensess
Article 42 - Suspension of the Validity of Driving Licenses
Article 43 - Transitional Provisions
Article 44
Article 45
Article 46
Article 47
Article 48
Article 49
Article 50
Article 51
Article 52
Article 53
Article 54
Article 55
Article 56
Annex I.
Exceptions to the Obligation to admit Motor Vehicles and Trailers in International Traffic
Annex 2.
Registration Number of Motor Vehicles and Trailers in International Traffic
The Governments of the following states were represented at the conference by the delegation:
Albania
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria
Central African Republic
Côte d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hungary
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Italy
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Mali
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Netherlands
Niger
Nigeria
North Macedonia
Norway
Pakistan
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Republic of Korea (South Korea)
Romania
Russian Federation
San Marino
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Tajikistan
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Zimbabwe
The Governments of the following States had observers at the Conference:
Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Nicaragua
The International Labour Organization, the World Health Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency were represented at the Conference in a consultative capacity.
The following organizations were represented at the Conference by observers:
A - Inter-governmental organizations
Commission of the European Communities
Council of Europe
European Conference of Ministers of Transport
International Institute for the Unification of Private Law
League of Arab States
Organization for the Collaboration of Railways
Nordic Council
B - Non-governmental organizations
European Insurance Committee
International Association for the Prevention of Road Accidents
International Chamber of Commerce
International Commission on Illumination
International confederation of Free Trade Unions
International Criminal Police Organization
International Federation of Christian Trade Unions
International Federation of Senior Police Officers
International Organization for Standardization
International Permanent Bureau of Motor Cycle Manufacturers
International Permanent Bureau of Motor Manufacturers
International Road Federation
International Road Transport Union
International Union of Official Travel Organizations
International Union of Public Transport
International Union of Railways
League of Red Cross Societies
World Federation of Trade Unions
World Touring and Automobile Organization
3. The conference had before it and used as a basis for discussion a draft Convention on Road Traffic and a draft Convention on Road Signs and Signals prepared by the Secretary-General.
4. On the basis of its deliberations, as recorded in the summary records of its plenary meetings and in the summary records of the decisions of its main committees, the Conference prepared and opened for signature a Convention on Road Traffic and a Convention on Road Signs and Signals.
5. In addition, the Conference adopted by acclimation the following resolution entitled
A tribute to the Government and People of the Republic of Austria
The United Nations Conference on Road Traffic, at the end of its work in Vienna on 7 November 1968, wishes to express its profound gratitude to the people and Government of Austria and to the City of Vienna for the kind and generous hospitality granted to all delegates at the Conference.
In witness whereof the undersigned representatives have signed this Final Act.
Done at Vienna this eighth day of November one thousand nine hundred and sixty-eight in a single copy in the Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish languages, each text authentic. The original will be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who will send certified copies to each of the Governments invited to send representatives to the Conference.
Afghanistan ................................................................Sadullah Yusufi
Algeria
Argentina....................................................................Carlos Ortiz de Rozas
Australia.....................................................................John Pennezel
Austria........................................................................Kurt Waldheim, Otto Mitterer
Belgium........................................................................Georges Puttevils
Brazil............................................................................Sylvio Carlos Diniz, Borges
Bulgaria.......................................................................Demir Bortschev
Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic.........................Andrei Vasilevich Zubovich
Canada........................................................................Gilles Sicotte
Central African Republic
Chile ...........................................................................Miguel Serrano
China...........................................................................Pao-nan Cheng
Costa Rica ..................................................................Franz Jos. Haslinger
Cyprus ........................................................................Dnos Nicolaou Aphamis
Czechoslovakia ...........................................................Josef Dykast
Denmark .....................................................................Kristian Frosig
Dominican Republic.....................................................Theodor Schmidt
Ecuador ......................................................................Arseno Larco Diaz
Federal Republic of Germany......................................Otto Linder
Finland.........................................................................Ensio Helaniemi
France ........................................................................Jean Gabarra
Gabon
Ghana..........................................................................Jonathan W. Decker
Greece ........................................................................Odysseus N. Papadakis
Ole See .......................................................................Gerolamo Prigione
Hungary........................................................................Laszlo Foldvari
India
Indonesia......................................................................Junus Pohan
Iran ..............................................................................Asian Afshar
Israel ...........................................................................Ezra Kamma
Italy...............................................................................Lionello Cozzi
Japan ...........................................................................Kinya Niseki
Kenya...........................................................................Shashikant Kanthal
Kuwait..........................................................................
Mohammad Saad Khadr
Liberia..........................................................................Tilmon Gardinir
Libya ..........................................................................Abdullah Gihril Salah
Luxembourg.................................................................Rene Logelin
Malaysia.......................................................................Abdul Fatah Bin Zakaria
Mali..............................................................................Mahamar Maiga
Mexico..........................................................................G.Morales Garza
Monaco
Netherlands .................................................................Johan Kaufmann, Adriaan H. Runberg
Nigeria..........................................................................Etim Inyang
Norway ........................................................................Rolf Normann Torgersen
Peru.............................................................................Enrique Lafosse
Philippines....................................................................Baltazar Aquino
Poland..........................................................................Jozef Wojciechowski
Portugal.......................................................................Armando De Paula, Coelho, A. B. da Silva
Republic of Korea .......................................................Tong Un Park
Romania.......................................................................Victor Mateevici
San Marino...................................................................Wilhelm Muller-Femricn
Saudi Arabia.................................................................Abdul Munem Bas
Spain............................................................................Joaquin Buxo-DuIce
Sudan..........................................................................Ali Yassin
Sweden .......................................................................Bertil G. Homquist
Switzerland ..................................................................Oscar Schurch
Thailand.......................................................................Manu Amatayakul
Turkey.........................................................................Gultekin Topcam
Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic..............................Markar Makarovich, Yashnik
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics..............................Boris Tikhonovich Shumilin
United Arab Republic....................................................Mahmoud Younis El Ansary, Youssef Ezzeldine
United Kingdom of G.B. and Northern Ireland..............James Richard Madge
United States of America ............................................W.J. Stibravy, C. W. Prisk, H. H. Kelly
Venezuela...................................................................Francisco Azpurua Espinoza
Yugoslavia..................................................................Lazar Moisov
The President of the Conference ...............................A. Buzzi Quattrini
The Executive Officer..................................................F.D. Masson
ARTICLE 41
Validity of driving license
1.Contracting Parties shall recognize:
(a) Any domestic driver's license drawn up in their national language or in one of their national languages, or, if not drawn up in such a language, accompanied by a certified translation;
(b) Any domestic drivers license conforming to the provisions of Annex 6 to this Convention;
(c) Any international drivers license conforming to the provisions of Annex 7 to this Convention, as valid for driving in their territories a vehicle coming within the categories covered by domestic drivers license, provided that the license is still valid and that it was issued by another Contracting Party or subdivision thereof or by an association duly answered thereto by such other Contracting Party. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to learner-driver permits.
2. Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph:
(a) Where the validity of the driving license is made subject by special
endorsement to the condition that the holder shall wear certain devices or
that the vehicle shall be equipped in a certain way to take account of the
drivers disability, the license shall not be recognized as valid unless those
conditions are observed;
(b) Contracting Parities may refuse to recognize the validity in their
territories of driving licenses held by persons under sixteen years of age;
(c) Contracting Parties may refuse to recognize the validity in their
territories, for the driving of motor vehicles or combinations or vehicles
in categories C, D and E referred to in Annexes 6 and 7 to this Convention,
of driving licenses held by persons under twenty-one years of age.
3. Contracting Parties undertake to adopt such measures as may be necessary
to ensure that the domestic and international drivers licenses referred
to the in subparagraphs 1(a). (b) and (c) of this Article are not issues
in their territories without a reasonable guarantee of the drivers aptitude
and physical fitness.
4. For the purpose of the application of paragraph 1 and sub-paragraph 2 (c) of this Article:
(a) A motor vehicle of the category B referred to in Annexes 6 and
7 to this Convention may be coupled to a light trailer, it may also be coupled
to a trailer whose permissible maximum weight exceeds 750 kg (1,650 LB) but
does not exceed the unloaded with of the motor vehicle if the combined permissible
maximum weights of the vehicles so couple does not exceed 3,500 kg (7,700
LB);
(b) A motor vehicle of the category C or of the category D referred to in
Annexes 6 and 7 to this convention may be coupled to a light trailer without
the resultant combination ceasing to belong to category C or category D.
5. An international drivers license shall be issued only to the holder
of a domestic driver's license for the issue of which the minimum condition
lad down in the Convention has been fulfilled. It shall not be valid after
the expiry of the corresponding domestic driver's license.
Article 42
Suspension of the validity of driver's licenses
1. Contracting Parties or sub-divisions thereof may withdraw from a driver
the right to use his domestic or international driver's license in their
territories if he commits in their territories a breach of their regulations
rendering him liable under their legislation's to the forfeiture of his license.
In such a case the competent authority of the Contracting Party or sub-division
theref withdrawing the right to use the permit may:
(a) Withdrawal and retain international drivers license until the period
of the withdrawal of use expires or until the holder leaves its territory,
whichever is the earlier;
(b) Notify the withdrawal of the right to use international driver's license,
or domestic driver's license to the authority by or on behalf of which the
license issued;
(c) In the case of an international drivers license, enter in the space
provided for the purpose an endorsement to the effect that the license is
no longer valid in its territories;
(d) Where it has not applied the procedure for which provision in made in
sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph, supplement the communication referred
to tin sub-paragraph (b) by requesting the authority which issued the license,
or on behalf of which the license was issued, to notify the person concerned
of the decision taken with regard to him.
2. Contracting Parties shall endeavor to notify the persons concerned of
the decisions communicated to them in accordance with the procedure laid
down in paragraph 1(d) of this Article.
3. Nothing in this Convention shall be constructed as prohibiting Contracting
Parties or sub-divisions thereof from preventing a driver holding a domestic
or international drivers license from driving if its is evident or proved
that his condition is such that he is unable to drive safely or if the right
to drive has been withdrawn from him in the State in which he has his normal
residence.
Article 43
Transitional provisions
International driver's license conforming to the provisions of the Convention
on Road Traffic done at Geneva on 19 September 1949 and issued within a period
of five years from the date of the entry into force of this Convention in
accordance with Article 47, paragraph 1 thereof shall be accorded, for the
purposes of Article 41 and 42 of this Convention, the same treatment as the
international drivers licenses provided for in this Convention.
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