Standard Four-Letter Coding as an Identification Method for Alternative Fuel Vehicles
J3108/1_202403
SAE J3108 RP provides fuel and hazard guidance for first and second responders of incidents associated with alternative fueled vehicles. The intent of this SAE J3108-1 RP is to remain with the limited number of seven intuitive and colored letters contained in each of the first two letter positions (72=49). However, the use of four letters plus nine digits (to not use either 0 or o) permits up to 1185921 unique identifiers (334) for future expansion.
The RP is not intended to replace the standards for SAE J2990 format emergency response guide (ERG) created by automotive manufacturers for use at the scene of an emergency. Automotive OEMs are encouraged to reference this RP for industry design guidance when creating vehicle requirements and ERGs. This coding should be consistent with other vehicle badging with the goal of providing additional clarity.
This RP does not include detailed equipment and procedures such as tools, personal protective equipment, or other aspects required for addressing vehicles which have been involved in accidents or incidents. Other documents providing those aspects are listed in the list of references.
This RP is independent of existing U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) hazardous labeling and nomenclature provided by Code of Federal Regulations Part 49. The ten hazard symbols and four levels of severity rating are insufficient to identify the unique aspects of configurations which may be specific to various vehicles designs. Those symbols are typically not used on the passenger types of vehicles this RP is meant for. This document also does not supersede current DOT requirements, U.S. Federal Regulations, or other regional regulations for identifying vehicle fuel and critical first responder information.
Rationale:
The International community is in the process of adopting International Standards Organization (ISO) 17840, which provides first and second responders with a standardized format for emergency information. SAE has SAE J3108 for Electrified propulsion vehicle (xEV). While the ISO 17840 format in coloring and lettering can be adopted and should be encouraged when possible, this SAE J3108-1 Recommended Practice provides a means for responders to recognize fuel and vehicle type on North American license plates due to size constraints preventing use of ISO 17840 labels. The 110-mm (4.33-inch) width and 80-mm (3.15-inch) height of an ISO 17840 label is almost 3X wider than the available space in the corners of North American license plates, failing the ISO 9186-1 (6.2.8) requirement for legibility.
This document is planned as an alternative to ISO 17840 symbology on passenger vehicles only. This SAE Recommended Practice (RP) is not intended for use with larger vehicles, such as in commercial or public use, where ISO 17840 compliant marking can be accommodated.
This document provides a standardized means of providing a legible small four-letter code on a sticker or permanent symbol appropriately sized for license plates or any other designated location to convey fuel and hazard information to first responders. While encouraged to be adopted by vehicle manufacturers, this standard has been developed for the use of States and other Governmental organizations to be able to uniformly provide immediate information to responders.
Related Topics:
Identification
Also known as: SAE J 3108/1
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