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

Yokohama Tire Corporation (YTC) has determined that certain Yokohama RY023 brand replacement commercial tires do not fully comply with 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 lbs) and Motorcycles. YTC filed a noncompliance report dated July 12, 2018. YTC subsequently petitioned NHTSA on July 31, 2018, and submitted a supplemental petition on February 6, 2019, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces receipt of YTC's petition.

NHTSA announces a meeting of NEMSAC to be held at DOT Headquarters in Washington, DC. This notice announces the date, time, and location of the meeting, which will be open to the public, as well as provide opportunities for public input to the NEMSAC. The purpose of NEMSAC, a nationally recognized council of emergency medical services representatives and consumers, is to advise and consult with DOT and the Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services (FICEMS) on matters relating to emergency medical services (EMS).

This final rule announces NHTSA's determination that there are no new model year 2018 light duty truck lines subject to the parts- marking requirements of the Federal motor vehicle theft prevention standard. The agency determined no new models were high-theft or had major parts that are interchangeable with a majority of the covered major parts of passenger car or multipurpose passenger vehicle lines. This final rule also identifies those vehicle lines that have been granted an exemption from the parts-marking requirements because they are equipped with antitheft devices determined to meet certain criteria.

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 extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections. This document describes a renewal of a collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) on behalf of itself and its parent company Daimler AG (DAG), has determined that certain model year (MY) 2016-2017 Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLS-Class 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. MBUSA filed a noncompliance information report dated December 12, 2016, and subsequently petitioned NHTSA on December 22, 2016, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces the grant of MBUSA's petition.

General Motors, LLC (GM), has determined that certain model year (MY) 2018 Buick Regal 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. GM filed a noncompliance report dated April 4, 2018, and subsequently petitioned NHTSA on April 27, 2018, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces the grant of GM's petition.

NHTSA is seeking public comment on the near- and long-term challenges of testing and verifying compliance with existing crash avoidance (100-series) Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSSs) for Automated Driving System-Dedicated Vehicles (ADS-DVs) that lack traditional manual controls necessary for a human driver to maneuver the vehicle and other features intended to facilitate operation of a vehicle by a human driver, but that are otherwise traditional vehicles with typical seating configurations. This document seeks comments on the suitability of various approaches that could be used to address compliance verification challenges that exist for crash avoidance standards that either require a manual control; or specify the use of manual controls in a compliance test procedure. NHTSA's long-term goal is to use what the agency learns from this ANPRM, as well as the agency's other research efforts, to develop a proposal to amend the crash avoidance FMVSSs in ways that address these and other compliance challenges with a continued focus on safety. This ANPRM builds on NHTSA's efforts to identify and address regulatory barriers to ADS technologies, including the request for comments (RFC) on this topic in January 2018. NHTSA intends to issue two additional documents to remove barriers in the crashworthiness FMVSSs (200-series standards) and address issues in the FMVSSs pertaining to telltales, indicators, and warnings in ADS-DVs.

This proposal is being issued pursuant to the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act which requires the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) to extend the period of time manufacturers of motor vehicles, tires and child restraint systems must retain records concerning defects and malfunctions that may be related to motor vehicle safety under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Safety Act). Section 24403 of the FAST Act directs the Secretary to issue a rule increasing the time of record retention to a period not less than ten years, instead of five years as presently required under the regulatory provisions. Pursuant to its delegated authority, NHTSA is proposing to update our regulations in accordance with this mandate. This proposed update is not intended to change the scope of the existing rule, other than as specifically described in this notice, but is intended to aid in efficiently and effectively improving the agency's ability to identify safety defects and noncompliances.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below is being forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following information collection was published May 16, 2018. The agency did not receive any comments.

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA), has determined that certain model year (MY) 2013-2018 Thomas Built Buses do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 222, School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection. DTNA filed a noncompliance report dated November 27, 2017. DTNA in Collaboration with SynTec Seating Solutions, LLC ``SynTec'' (the seating manufacturer), subsequently petitioned NHTSA on December 15, 2017, and later updated it on September 21, 2018, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces receipt of DTNA's petition.

FCA US LLC (FCA US), (formally known as: Chrysler Group LLC) and Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen), have determined that certain Mopar Service seat belt assemblies sold to FCA dealers and Volkswagen dealers as replacement equipment in certain model year (MY) 1992-2018 FCA US motor vehicles and certain MY 2009-2018 Volkswagen Routan motor vehicles, do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 209, Seat Belt Assemblies. The petitioners have requested that NHTSA deem the subject noncompliance inconsequential to motor vehicle safety. This document grants both petitions in full.

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 extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections. This document describes an Information Collection Request (ICR) for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a document in the Federal Register of April 25, 2019, concerning request for comments on an information collection for NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System. The document contained incorrect burden estimates.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below will be forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, and requests comments on the ICR. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following information collection was published on February 1, 2019 (84 FR 1270). There were no comments received.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposes to update, reissue, and rename a previously published Department of Transportation (DOT) system of records titled, ``Department of TransportationDOT/ NHTSA 415 Artemis/Vehicle Owner Complaint Information.'' This system of records allows NHTSA to collect and retain complaints, letters communicating vehicle or equipment concerns, and supporting documentation which may include photos, videos, police accident reports, repair invoices or medical information (collectively, ``vehicle owner questionnaires'' or ``VOQs'') submitted by or on behalf of vehicle or equipment owners and lessees (consumers). NHTSA updated the notice with regards to: System Name to Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) System to appropriately identify the specific records maintained in the Artemis system covered by the Privacy Act; System Location to include NHTSA's current address and the location of the Federal disaster recovery facility in Stennis, MS; System Managers to update the name and contact information for the system's current points of contact; Authority for Maintenance of the System to reflect the system's underlying authority; Purposes to provide clarity and facilitate understanding of NHTSA investigation and recall processes; Categories of Records to provide greater clarity of the type of records and information included in the system; Record Source Categories to provide additional information about the mechanisms used by NHTSA for collecting records in the system; and Routine Uses to modify an existing routine use to permit sharing of records with manufacturers named in VOQs earlier in NHTSA's investigation and recall processes than permitted under the previously published system of records notice (SORN), unless a consumer ``opts-out'' at the time of collection, and to provide additional details and clarification about NTHSA referrals of complaints to other agencies; and Policies and Practices for Storage, Retrieval, Retention and Disposal of Records, respectively, to provide additional information about the location of the system, methods of retrieval, individuals permitted to retrieve records, and to specify the applicable NARA record retention schedule; Administration, Technical and Physical Safeguards to detail the privacy-risk mitigating controls applicable to the system. Additionally, this notice includes non-substantive changes to simplify and clarify the language, formatting, and text of the previously published notice to align with the requirements of Office of Management and Budget Memoranda A-108. This updated system, Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) System, will be included in the Department of Transportation's inventory of record systems.

Michelin North America, Inc. (MNA), has determined that certain BFGoodrich gForce Rival S summer performance tires do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 139, New Pneumatic Radial Tires for Light Vehicles. MNA filed a noncompliance report dated April 17, 2017. MNA also petitioned NHTSA on May 5, 2017, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. NHTSA is granting the petition for the reasons stated in this decision.

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (JLR), on behalf of Jaguar Land Rover Limited, has determined that certain model year (MY) 2012-2018 Jaguar motor vehicles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 135, Light Vehicle Brake Systems. JLR filed a noncompliance report dated June 22, 2017. JLR also petitioned NHTSA on July 20, 2017, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. For the reasons stated below, NHTSA grants the petition.

Hemphill Brothers Leasing Company, LLC (Hemphill) has submitted a petition, dated April 5, 2018, for a temporary exemption from a shoulder belt requirement of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, ``Occupant crash protection,'' for side- facing seats on motorcoaches. NHTSA is publishing this document in accordance with statutory and administrative provisions, and requests comments on the petition and this notice. NHTSA has made no judgment on the merits of Hemphill's petition, except to note a few aspects of the petition that appear not to accord with the provisions of Part 555.

The DOT invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to reinstate an 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 grants in full Ford Motor Company's (Ford) petition for exemption of the model year 2020 Lincoln Corsair vehicle line from the Federal Motor 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 Theft Prevention Standard.

This document grants in full Toyota Motor North America, Inc.'s, (Toyota) petition for an exemption of the model year 2020 C-HR vehicle line from the Federal Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard (Theft Prevention Standard). 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.

In accordance with the procedures in the Temporary Exemption from Motor Vehicle Safety and Bumper Standards, General Motors, LLC, (GM) has applied for a temporary exemption for its driverless ``Zero- Emission Autonomous Vehicle'' (ZEAV), an all-electric vehicle with an Automated Driving System (ADS), from part of each of 16 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). The ZEAVs would not be equipped with a steering wheel, manually-operated gear selection mechanism, or foot pedals for braking and accelerating. If the requested exemption were granted, GM would use the ZEAVs to provide on-demand mobility services in GM-controlled fleets. GM requests the exemption be granted on either or both of two statutory bases: That it would facilitate the development or field evaluation of a new motor vehicle safety feature providing a level of safety at least equal to those of FMVSS from which exemption is requested, or that it would facilitate the development or field evaluation of a low-emission vehicle without unreasonably lowering the safety performance of the vehicle. NHTSA seeks comment on the merits of and most appropriate statutory basis for GM's exemption petition and whether the petition satisfies the substantive requirements for an exemption. NHTSA will assess the merits of the petition after receiving and considering the public comments on this notice, the petition, public responses to the questions in this notice, and any additional information that might be forthcoming from GM.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen), has determined that certain model year (MY) 2012-2017 Volkswagen motor vehicles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 126, Electronic Stability Control Systems for Light Vehicles. Volkswagen filed a noncompliance report dated March 1, 2017, and later revised it on December 21, 2017. Volkswagen also petitioned NHTSA on March 2, 2017, and amended the petition on December 21, 2017, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces the grant of this petition.

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).