National Highway Traffic Safety Administration September 26, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document denies petitions for rulemaking submitted by Environmental Motors, and Porteon Electric Vehicles, Inc. and Mirox Corporation. The petitioners requested that NHTSA commence rulemaking to create a new class of motor vehicles known as medium speed vehicles, which would have a maximum speed capability of 35 mph. The petitioners contemplated that these vehicles would be subject to a set of safety standards greater than those that apply to low speed vehicles but substantially less than the full set of safety standards that apply to other light vehicles such as passenger cars. The petitioners cited a number of reasons in support of their petition, the most significant of which related to potential environmental benefits. After carefully reviewing the petitions, we are denying them because the introduction of such a class of motor vehicles without the full complement of safety features required for other light vehicles such as passenger cars would result in significantly greater risk of deaths and serious injuries. While NHTSA agrees with the importance of environmental issues, the agency believes that it is neither necessary nor appropriate to significantly increase the risk of deaths and serious injuries to save fuel.