National Highway Traffic Safety Administration May 19, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document denies a petition from the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) to conduct rulemaking to amend the Federal motor vehicle safety standard on tire selection and rims to require manufacturers of new motor vehicles to establish a recommended cold inflation pressure (placard pressure) for their vehicles using a tire pressure reserve. The tire pressure reserve would be based on the minimum pressure the RMA believes is necessary to support the vehicle's maximum load at the activation pressure of the installed tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). The agency has decided to deny the petition because neither the RMA's nor the agency's data demonstrate a safety need for such a requirement.

This final rule responds to petitions for reconsideration of the agency's newly expanded parts marking requirements. The Anti Car Theft Act of 1992 required NHTSA to conduct a rulemaking to extend the parts marking requirements to below median theft rate passenger cars and multipurpose passenger vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 6,000 pounds or less, unless the Attorney General found that such a requirement would not substantially inhibit chop shop operations and motor vehicle thefts. The Attorney General did not make such a finding. Accordingly, in a final rule published in April 2004, NHTSA extended parts marking requirements to these vehicles. This document responds to petitions for reconsideration of the April 2004 final rule. Specifically, we are amending our procedures in order to begin processing parts marking exemption petitions prior to the effective date, and we are phasing-in the new requirements over a two-year period.