National Highway Traffic Safety Administration November 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NHTSA is announcing a public meeting to seek input specifically on the Model State Policy and Modern Regulatory Tools sections of the recently released Federal Automated Vehicles Policy (the Policy). The Policy is guidance that seeks to speed the delivery of an initial regulatory framework for highly automated vehicles (HAVs) as well as encourage conformance with best practices to guide manufacturers and other entities in the safe design, development, testing, and deployment of HAVs. The Model State Policy builds on collective knowledge gathered from safety stakeholders, and is intended to help avoid a patchwork of inconsistent laws and regulations. It outlines States' roles in regulating HAVs and lays out model procedures and requirements for use by States that wish to enact laws governing HAVs. The Modern Regulatory Tools section includes potential new tools and authorities that could help NHTSA overcome the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities involved in the safe and expeditious development of HAVs. Held in two distinct parts, the public meeting in the morning session will be an open listening session for the Model State Policy. In the afternoon session, there will be moderated panel discussions on the Modern Regulatory Tools. All comments during the public meeting will be oral.

NHTSA is proposing to require placing a label on the passenger side sun visor of light-duty vehicles that provides information about how to submit a safety-related motor vehicle defect complaint to NHTSA. This rulemaking also proposes updating the required information in 49 CFR 575.6 for defect reporting information in owner's manuals through the addition of the text developed for this proposal. This proposal responds to the mandate in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act of 2012 (MAP-21) that manufacturers be required to affix, in the glove compartment or in another readily accessible location on the vehicle, a sticker, decal, or other device that provides, in simple and understandable language, information about how to submit a safety- related motor vehicle defect complaint to NHTSA; and prominently print the information described above within the owner's manual.

General Motors, LLC (GM) petitioned the Agency to alter the Part 573 defect information report (DIR) filing schedule set forth in paragraph 14 of the May 4, 2016 Amendment to November 3, 2015 Consent Order between NHTSA and TK Holdings Inc. (Takata). More specifically, GM requested that NHTSA modify the DIR schedule with respect to certain GM-branded motor vehicles to defer the filing date from December 31, 2016 to December 31, 2017. GM has since withdrawn this petition.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (Goodyear), has determined that certain Goodyear tires do not fully comply with paragraph S6.5(f) of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 119, New pneumatic tires for motor vehicles with a GVWR of more than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) and motorcycles. Goodyear filed a report dated September 27, 2016, pursuant to 49 CFR part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports. Goodyear then petitioned NHTSA under 49 CFR part 556 for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is announcing a meeting that will be held in Washington, DC on December 1, 2016 to explore the risk factors associated with pupil transportation and potential solutions to prevent school transportation-related crashes. The School Transportation SafetyThinking Outside the Bus meeting will include presentations and discussions on a number of topics including trends in school transportation-related crashes; updates on lap/shoulder belts in school buses; pedestrians around the bus, illegal passing of school buses, school bus driver distraction; research on camera enforcement of stop arm violations; school bus vehicle technology and Moving Toward ZeroReducing School Transportation-related fatalities. Attendance at the meeting is limited to invited participants because of space limitations of the DOT Conference Center. However, the meeting will be available for live public viewing on the NHTSA Web site (www.nhtsa.gov).

This document amends Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 110 to make it clear that special trailer (ST) tires are permitted to be installed on new trailers with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 4,536 kg (10,000 lbs.) or less. It also excludes these trailers from a requirement that a tire must be retained on its rim when subjected to a sudden loss of tire pressure and brought to a controlled stop from 97 km/h (60 mph). The agency proposed these changes and, after a review of the comments received, has determined that these two revisions are appropriate and will not result in any degradation of motor vehicle safety.

Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), has determined that certain model year (MY) 2016-2017 Freightliner and Western Star trucks do not fully comply with Table 2 of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 101, Controls and Displays. DTNA filed a report dated September 22, 2016, pursuant to 49 CFR part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports. DTNA also petitioned NHTSA on September 22, 2016, under 49 CFR part 556 for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety.

Michelin North America, Inc. (MNA), has determined that certain MNA tires do not fully comply with paragraph S5.5.1(b) of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 139, New pneumatic radial tires for light vehicles. MNA filed a report dated May 5, 2016, pursuant to 49 CFR part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports. MNA then petitioned NHTSA under 49 CFR part 556 requesting a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety.