France: New Technical Requirements for Personal Transporters

The French Ministry of Transport has published new requirements for personal transporters (EDPM). These requirements hold changes for brakes, audible warning devices, lighting/reflector and requirements for dimensions. The requirements enter into force on 1 July 2020. Below, we summarise the regulatory changes:

Please find here all three decrees:

1. Audible warning device
2. Brakes
3. Light and signaling

Audible warning device requirements

All personal transport needs to be equipped with an a bell

1. Has a sound, which can be heard from at least 50 meter away;
2. Complies with ISO 14878: 2015, applicable to class 2 devices, designed for use in areas primarily shared by pedestrians and cyclists
3. Is mounted on and controlled from the handlebar,  or worn by the driver if there is no handlebar.
4. The manufacturer must provide the bell, though users may install it themselves.

Legal text

Requirements for brakes

All personal transporters need to be equipped with a braking system as defined below

• Single-track self-balancing vehicles must have 1 brake.
• Single-track vehicles, which are not self-balancing  must have at least 1 brake or any other system to reduce the speed of the motor.
• Multi-track vehicles that are neither self-balancing nor skateboards must be equipped with a parking brake system.
• Multi-track vehicles that are not self-balancing must also be fitted with the following:
  • if two rear wheels, a brake on each wheel or an independent front brake and linked brakes on the rear wheels. The brakes must be applied by one single control
  • if one rear wheel, a braking system integrating all wheels or independent brakes for front and rear wheels
• Multi track self-balancing vehicles must have a controlled acceleration braking system, which slows down the vehicle by means of a combination of acceleration and deceleration of the wheels. This system must comply with category 1 or 2, as specified in point 9.2.2 of ISO 60204-1
• Multi-track personal transporters that are not self-balancing vehicles must also be fitted with one of the following devices:
  • If it has two rear wheels, the personal transporter must be equipped with a braking device on both of the rear wheels or an independent front brake and linked brakes on the rear wheels. The brake must be applied by means of a single control.
  • If it has one rear wheel, the personal transporter must be equipped with a braking system integrating all of the wheels or with independent brakes for the front and rear wheels.
• Single track self-balancing vehicles need to be equipped with a brake.

Drivers need to be able to control the braking system by hand or foot whilst in a normal driving position.

If the vehicle has no handlebar, the braking device must be actuated in accordance with the instructions included by the manufacturer in the manual.

All further braking requirements are here.

Lighting and reflector requirements

Personal transporters need to be equipped with the following lights:

• Yellow or white light at the front
• Red light at the rear
• Both lights need to be visible at a distance of at least 150 meters.
• The lights must be mounted at a height obetween 0.05 and 0.50 meter above the ground.

Personal transporter requirements for reflectors :

• White reflector pointing forwards at the front
• One or more red reflectors pointing rearwards at the back
• Orange reflector side reflectors
• The reflectors must be mounte at a height between 0.05 and 0.50 meter above the ground.
• Adhesive reflectors are allowed

All further lighting requirements are here

Personal transporters need to comply with the following dimensions:

• Width: maximum 0.90 meter.
• Length: maximum 1.35 meter.

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash.