National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces a meeting of the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (NEMSAC).

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) invites public comments about our intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a new information collection. Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from OMB. Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA), before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information, including extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections. The proposed collection of information described below supports research addressing safety-related aspects of drivers' interactions with driving automation systems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) invites public comments about our intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a new information collection. Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from 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 extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections. This document describes NHTSA's Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) investigation-based crash data study for which it is seeking OMB approval.

Blue Bird Body Company (Blue Bird) has determined that certain model year (MY) 2019-2024 Blue Bird Vision and MY 2020-2024 Blue Bird All American school buses do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 217, Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release. Blue Bird filed two noncompliance reports, both dated August 9, 2023, and subsequently petitioned NHTSA (the ``Agency'') on September 13, 2023, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces receipt of Blue Bird's petition.

FCA US LLC (f/k/a Chrysler Group LLC) (FCA) has determined that certain model year (MY) 2019 Chrysler Pacifica motor vehicles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 110, Tire Selection and Rims and Motor Home/Recreation Vehicle Trailer Load Carrying Capacity Information for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of 4,536 Kilograms (10,000 Pounds) or Less. FCA filed a noncompliance report dated August 27, 2019. FCA subsequently petitioned NHTSA on September 20, 2019, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces the grant of FCA's petition.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration withdraws a previous proposal to create a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard requiring vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications in new light vehicles. After the advent of new V2V communications protocol, and after a recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision regarding the regulations governing the 5.850-5.895 gigahertz (5.9 GHz) band, the agency has decided to withdraw its V2V proposed rule.

This document grants parts of petitions for reconsideration of a December 29, 2021, final rule that established Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 227, ``Bus Rollover Structural Integrity.'' The standard is intended to enhance rollover structural integrity and reduce the likelihood of ejection from over-the-road buses (motorcoaches), and other buses with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater than 11,793 kilograms (kg) (26,000 pounds (lb)). This final rule adjusts the definition of ``transit bus'' and revises the maximum allowable weight of objects intruding into the survival space during the rollover test. This document denies other requests in the petitions, including petitions to expand the applicability of the standard to other bus types and extend the compliance date by 2 years.

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) has determined that certain replacement windshield glass panes manufactured by Central Glass Co., Ltd., outsourced to Japan Tempered & Laminated Glass Co., Ltd., and sold to Nissan as replacement parts for use in certain Nissan motor vehicles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 205, Glazing Materials. Nissan filed a noncompliance report dated June 29, 2020. Nissan subsequently petitioned NHTSA on July 29, 2020, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This notice announces grant of Nissan's petition.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announces a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Underride Protection (ACUP). This notice announces the date, time, and location of the meeting, which will be open to the public. The purpose of ACUP is to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation on safety regulations to reduce underride crashes and fatalities relating to underride crashes.

BMW of North America, LLC, a subsidiary of BMW AG, Munich, Germany, (collectively ``BMW''), has determined that certain Model Year (MY) 2018-2021 BMW K 1600 motorcycles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 123, Motorcycle Controls and Displays. BMW filed an original noncompliance report dated March 18, 2021, and, subsequently, BMW petitioned NHTSA on April 9, 2021, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This notice announces the grant of BMW's petition.

Mercedes-Benz AG (``MBAG'') and Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, (``MBUSA'') (collectively, ``Mercedes-Benz'') have determined that certain model year (MY) 2019-2021 Mercedes-Benz motor vehicles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 135, Light Vehicle Brake Systems. Mercedes-Benz filed a noncompliance report dated August 14, 2020. Mercedes-Benz subsequently petitioned NHTSA on September 4, 2020, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This notice announces denial of Mercedes-Benz's petition.

Gillig, LLC, (Gillig) has determined that certain model year (MY) 1998-2022 Gillig Low Floor buses do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 205, Glazing Materials. Gillig filed a noncompliance report dated July 6, 2022, and later amended the report on July 22, 2022. Gillig subsequently petitioned NHTSA (the ``Agency'') on July 21, 2022, for a decision that the subject noncompliances are inconsequential as they relate to motor vehicle safety. This document announces receipt of Gillig's petition.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) summarized below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. This document describes a new information collection for consumer research purposes regarding a one-time online voluntary study to better understand attitudes and behaviors related to alcohol-impaired driving that will enhance and refine communication strategy and tactics. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following information collection was published on June 7, 2023, Document 2023-12102. Two (2) comments were received before the closing date of August 7, 2023.

NHTSA announces the establishment of MAC for a 2-year period. The MAC will coordinate with and advise the Secretary of Transportation, the NHTSA Administrator and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Administrator on transportation issues of concern to motorcyclists, including: motorcycle and motorcyclist safety; barrier and road design, construction, and maintenance practices; and the architecture and implementation of intelligent transportation system technologies. NHTSA is also soliciting nominations for appointment to the MAC.

This document grants in full the Nissan North America, Inc.'s (Nissan) petition for exemption from the Federal Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard (theft prevention standard) for its Z vehicle line beginning in model year (MY) 2024. The 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 theft prevention standard. Nissan also requested confidential treatment for specific information in its petition. Therefore, no confidential information provided for purposes of this notice has been disclosed.

NHTSA will hold a public meeting regarding its initial decision that certain frontal and passenger air bag inflators manufactured by ARC and Delphi through January 2018 contain a defect related to motor vehicle safety and should be recalled.

The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act of 2012 (MAP-21) directs NHTSA to initiate a rulemaking proceeding to amend Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, ``Occupant crash protection,'' to require a seat belt use warning system for rear seats. Pursuant to this mandate and following on an earlier Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, NHTSA is proposing to require a seat belt warning system for the rear seats of passenger cars, trucks, most buses, and multipurpose passenger vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or less. This document also proposes to enhance the existing front seat belt warning requirements, including requiring a seat belt warning for the front outboard passenger seat and increasing the duration of the warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) invites public comments about our intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a new information collection. Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from 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 extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections. This document describes a collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval regarding prosecution of driving-under-the-influence-of-drugs (DUID) cases.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is announcing a virtual public hearing to be held September 28, 2023, on its proposal for the ``Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards for Passenger Cars and Light Trucks for Model Years 2027-2032 and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Heavy-Duty Pickup Trucks and Vans for Model Years 2030-2035,'' which was signed on July 28, 2023. This hearing also allows the public to provide oral comments regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Statement that accompanies the proposal. An additional session will be held on September 29, if necessary, to accommodate the number of people that sign up to testify.

Mack Trucks, Inc., (Mack Trucks), has determined that certain model year (MY) 2015-2023 Mack GU/GR Class 8 trucks and truck-tractors do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment. Mack Trucks filed an original noncompliance report dated November 1, 2022, and amended the report on November 3, 2022. Mack Trucks petitioned NHTSA on November 23, 2022, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces the denial of Mack Trucks' petition.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen or the ``Petitioner'') has determined that certain model year (MY) 2019 and 2021 Audi motor vehicles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 135, Light Vehicle Brake Systems. Volkswagen filed noncompliance reports dated March 27, 2019, and July 26, 2021. Volkswagen petitioned NHTSA (the ``Agency'') on April 17, 2019, and August 25, 2021, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This notice announces the denial of Volkswagen's petitions.

NHTSA, on behalf of the Department of Transportation (DOT), is proposing new fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks and fuel efficiency standards for model years (MYs) 2027-31 that increase at a rate of 2 percent per year for passenger cars and 4 percent per year for light trucks, and new fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans (HDPUVs) for MYs 2030-2035 that increase at a rate of 10 percent per year. NHTSA is also setting forth proposed augural standards for MY 2032 passenger cars and light trucks, that would increase at 2 percent and 4 percent year over year, respectively, as compared to the prior year's standards. NHTSA currently projects that the proposed standards would require an industry fleet-wide average for passenger cars and light trucks of roughly 58 miles per gallon (mpg) in MY 2032 and an industry fleet-wide average for HDPUVs of roughly 2.6 gallons per 100 miles in MY 2038. NHTSA further projects that the proposed standards would reduce average fuel outlays over the lifetimes of passenger cars and light trucks by $1,043 and of HDPUVs by $439. These proposed standards are directly responsive to the agency's statutory mandate to improve energy conservation and reduce the nation's energy dependence on foreign sources.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) invites public comments about our intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a new information collection. Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from 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 extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections. This document describes a collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval titled ``Examining Distraction and Driver Monitoring Systems to Improve Driver Safety.''

This NPRM proposes to adopt a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) to require automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems on heavy vehicles, i.e., vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds). This notice also proposes to amend FMVSS No. 136 to require nearly all heavy vehicles to have an electronic stability control system that meets the equipment requirements, general system operational capability requirements, and malfunction detection requirements of FMVSS No. 136. An AEB system uses multiple sensor technologies and sub-systems that work together to sense when the vehicle is in a crash imminent situation and automatically applies the vehicle brakes if the driver has not done so or automatically applies more braking force to supplement the driver's applied braking. This NPRM follows NHTSA's 2015 grant of a petition for rulemaking from the Truck Safety Coalition, the Center for Auto Safety, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety and Road Safe America, requesting that NHTSA establish a safety standard to require AEB on certain heavy vehicles. This NPRM also responds to a mandate under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, as enacted as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, directing the Department to prescribe an FMVSS that requires heavy commercial vehicles with FMVSS-required electronic stability control systems to be equipped with an AEB system, and also promotes DOT's January 2022 National Roadway Safety Strategy to initiate a rulemaking to require AEB on heavy trucks. This NPRM also proposes Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations requiring the electronic stability control and AEB systems to be on during vehicle operation.

Polaris Group of America, Inc., (Polaris), has determined that certain motorcycles manufactured by Indian Motorcycle Company do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment. Indian Motorcycle Company, on behalf of Polaris, filed an original noncompliance report dated April 13, 2022, and later amended the report on September 9, 2022. Polaris petitioned NHTSA on May 13, 2022, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces receipt of Polaris's petition.