Vienna, 7 October – 8 November 1968

Final Act

Convention on Road Traffic

Convention on Road Signs and Signals

Conference Des Nations Unies

Sur La Circulation Routiere

Vienne, 7 Octobre – 8 Nombre 1968

Acte Final

Convention su la circulation routiere

Convention su la signalisation routiere

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

Chapter 1. General Provisions

Article 1 – Definitions

Article 2 – Annexes to the Convention

Article 3 – Obligations of the Contracting Parties

Article 4 – Signs and Signals

Chapter II. Rules of the Road

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

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

Chapter V. Conditions for the Admission of Cycles and Mopeds to International Traffic 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.

Afghanistan

Algeria

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Brazil

Bulgaria

Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic

Canada

Central African Republic

Chile

China

Costa Rica

Cyprus

Czechoslovakia

Denmark

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Federal Republic of Germany

Finland

France

Gabon

Ghana

Greece

Holy See

Hungary

India

Indonesia

Iran

Israel

Italy

Japan

Kenya

Kuwait

Liberia

Libya

Luxembourg

Malaysia

Mali

Mexico

Monaco

Netherlands

Nigeria

Norway

Peru

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Republic of Korea

Romania

San Marino

Saudi Arabia

Spain

Sudan

Sweden

Switzerland

Thailand

Turkey

Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

United Arab Republic

United Kingdom of Great Britain and

Northern Ireland

United States of America

Venezuela

Yugoslavia

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-govemmental 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 ……………………………….. ………………….. Saadullah Yosufi

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

Federal Republic of Germany……………………. ………….Otto Linder

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……………………………………………………………………Shashinant Kantihal

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 ………………………………….. ………………………..RolfNormann Torgersen

Peru…………………………………….. …………………………..Enrique Lafosse

Philippines………………………………… ……………………..Baltazar Aquino

Poland………………………………………………………………. Jozef.Wojciechowski

Portugal…………………………………………………………….. Armando De Paula, Coelho, Antonio Brito 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, YoussefEzzeldine

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ….. James Richard Madge

United States of America ………………………. Wlliam J. Stibravy, Charles W. Prisk, Henry 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 driver’s license conforming to the provisions of Annex 6 to this Convention; and

(c) Any international driver’s document 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 driver’s 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

(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 driver’s documents 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.

(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 driver’s document 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

1. Contracting Parties or sub-divisions thereof may withdraw from a driver the right to use his domestic or international driver’s document 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 thereof withdrawing the right to use the permit may:

(a) Withdrawal and retain international driver’s document 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 document, or domestic driver’s license to the authority by or on behalf of which the license issued;

(c) In the case of an international driver’s document, 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 driver’s document 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 document 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 driver’s documents provided for in this Convention.