National Highway Traffic Safety Administration February 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document proposes to amend Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 305, ``Electric-powered vehicles: Electrolyte spillage and electrical shock protection,'' to clarify the direct contact protection requirements that apply to high voltage connectors, and to explicitly permit the use of high voltage connectors that cannot be separated without the use of tools. The proposed changes to these requirements would harmonize FMVSS No. 305 with Global Technical Regulations (GTRs) No. 13 and No. 20, which explicitly permit such connectors. In addition, it would make three minor technical corrections to the standard.

This document grants in full the General Motors Corporation's (GM) petition for exemption of the Buick Encore vehicle line in accordance with Exemption from Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard. This petition is granted because the agency has determined that the antitheft device to be placed on the line as standard equipment is likely to be as effective in reducing and deterring motor vehicle theft as compliance with the parts-marking requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard (Theft Prevention Standard).

This document grants in full the American Honda Motor Co., Inc.'s (Honda) petition for exemption of the 2019 Model Year (MY) Passport vehicle line in accordance with Exemption from Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard. NHTSA is granting this petition because the agency has determined that the antitheft device to be placed on the vehicle line as standard equipment is likely to be as effective in reducing and deterring motor vehicle theft as compliance with the parts-marking requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard (Theft Prevention Standard).

NHTSA withdraws its December 13, 2012 notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that proposed a new Federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) mandating installation of an Event Data Recorder (EDR) that meets NHTSA's current EDR standard in most light vehicles. At the time NHTSA published the NPRM, the agency noted that a significant number of light vehicles were being sold without EDRs, and said it believed a mandate was needed. Today, EDRs are installed on nearly all new light vehicles. In light of these changed circumstances, NHTSA believes that a mandate for today's EDRs is no longer necessary and withdrawal of the NPRM is therefore warranted.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below is being forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, and requests comments on the ICR. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following information collection was published on July 23, 2018. NHTSA received three comments on the 60-day notice. One supported the information collection, another addressed an issue unrelated to information collection, and a third stated that the research is a waste of money without providing any support for the statement. NHTSA has concluded that it is not necessary to make any changes to the information collection based on those comments.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) invites public comments about our intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to renew an information collection. Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information, including extension and reinstatement of previously approved collections.