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

This document publishes the final data on thefts of model year (MY) 2012 passenger motor vehicles that occurred in calendar year (CY) 2012. The final 2012 theft data indicated an increase in the vehicle theft rate experienced in CY/MY 2012. The final theft rate for MY 2012 passenger vehicles stolen in calendar year 2012 is 1.1294 thefts per thousand vehicles, an increase of 14.21 percent from the rate of 0.9889 thefts per thousand in 2011. Publication of these data fulfills NHTSA's statutory obligation to periodically obtain accurate and timely theft data and publish the information for review and comment.

JLG Industries, Inc. (JLG) has determined that certain JLG Triple-L utility trailers do not fully comply with paragraph S4.3.5 of 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. JLG has filed an appropriate report dated July 16, 2014, pursuant to 49 CFR part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports.

RECARO Child Safety, LLC (RECARO) has determined that certain RECARO child restraints do not fully comply with paragraph S5.1.1(a) of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 213, Child Restraints. RECARO has filed an appropriate report and was received by NHTSA on July 30, 2014, pursuant to 49 CFR part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports.

General Motors, LLC (GM), has determined that certain model year (MY) 2007 through 2013 GM trucks and multipurpose passenger vehicles (MPVs) manufactured from June 19, 2006, through December 6, 2012 do not fully comply with paragraph S4.3 of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 110, Tire Selection and Rims for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of 4,536 Kilograms or less. GM filed an appropriate report dated December 19, 2012 pursuant to 49 CFR part 573 Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports.

Oreion Motors, LLC (Oreion) has determined that certain 2011- 2013 Oreion Reeper low speed vehicles, do not fully comply with paragraph S5.(b)(10) of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 500 which requires installation of seat belts that conform to FMVSS No. 209, Seat Belt Assemblies. Oreion has filed an appropriate report dated August 13, 2014, pursuant to 49 CFR part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting public comments on the following information collection was published on February 14, 2014 (Federal Register/Vol. 79, No. 31/pp. 9038-9040).

In accordance with the procedures in 49 CFR Part 555, NHTSA is partially granting a petition from Aston Martin Lagonda Limited (Aston Martin), a small volume manufacturer, for a temporary exemption from new side impact protection requirements of FMVSS No. 214. The agency is granting the petitioner's request for a temporary exemption from the standard's new pole test requirements, limited to 670 vehicles. The basis for the grant is that compliance would cause substantial economic hardship to a low volume manufacturer that has tried in good faith to comply with the standard. In accordance with NHTSA's regulations, prominent labels must be affixed to each exempted vehicle to warn prospective purchasers that the vehicle has been exempted from the pole test requirements. However, NHTSA is denying the petitioner's separate request for a temporary exemption from FMVSS No. 214's moving deformable barrier (MDB) test requirement. The agency does not believe that the petitioner has shown a need for such an exemption.

This notice presents the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's research program on vehicle electronics and our progress on examining the need for safety standards with regard to electronic systems in passenger motor vehicles. The agency undertook this examination pursuant to the requirements of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) Division C, Title I, Subtitle D, Section 31402, Subsection (a). In addition, and in accordance with MAP-21, we are seeking comment (through this document) on various components of our examination of the need for safety standards in this area. As MAP-21 also requires this agency to report to Congress on our findings pursuant to this examination, we intend to submit a report to Congress based in part on our findings from this examination and public comments received in response to this document.

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 collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

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 one collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

This document adopts fees for Fiscal Year 2015 relating to the registration of importers and the importation of motor vehicles not certified as conforming to the Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS). These fees will also apply beyond Fiscal Year 2015 until further notice. These fees are needed to maintain the registered importer (RI) program. We are increasing the fees for the registration of a new RI from $805 to $844 and the annual fee for renewing an existing registration from $676 to $726. The fee to reimburse Customs for conformance bond processing costs will increase from $9.09 to $9.34 per bond. The fee for the review, processing, handling, and disbursement of cash deposits that are submitted in lieu of a conformance bond will increase from $495 to $499. We are increasing the fees for the importation of a vehicle covered by an import eligibility decision made on an individual model and model year basis. For vehicles determined eligible based on their substantial similarity to a U.S. certified vehicle, the fee will increase from $101 to $138. For vehicles determined eligible based on their capability of being modified to comply with all applicable FMVSS, the fee will also increase from $101 to $138. The fee for the inspection of a vehicle will remain $827. The fee for processing a conformity package will decrease from $12 to $10. If the vehicle has been entered electronically with Customs through the Automated Broker Interface (ABI) and the RI has an email address, the fee for processing the conformity package will continue to be $6, provided the fee is paid by credit card. If NHTSA finds that the information in the entry or the conformity package is incorrect, the processing fee will increase from $57 to $59, representing a $2 increase in the fee that is currently charged when there are one or more errors in the ABI entry or omissions in the statement of conformity.

This Notice provides NHTSA's finding with respect to a request from the Idaho Department of Transportation (IDOT) to waive the requirements of Buy America for the purchase of Child Passenger Safety (CPS) training dolls. NHTSA finds that a non-availability waiver of the Buy America requirements is appropriate for the purchase of the CPS training dolls using Federal highway safety grant funds because there are no suitable products produced in the United States.

This document announces receipt by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a petition for a decision that nonconforming 2002 BMW Z3 passenger cars that were not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), are eligible for importation into the United States because they are substantially similar to vehicles that were originally manufactured for sale in the United States and that were certified by their manufacturer as complying with the safety standards (the U.S.- certified version of the same 2002 BMW Z3 passenger cars) and they are capable of being readily altered to conform to the standards.

This Notice provides NHTSA's finding with respect to five requests from the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) to waive the requirements of Buy America. NHTSA finds that a non- availability waiver of the Buy America requirements is appropriate for the purchase of a portable data projector and a wireless remote control presenter, digital video discs (DVDs) and twenty high-visibility motorcyclist vests using Federal highway safety grant funds because there are no suitable products produced in the United States. In addition, NHTSA finds that a cost waiver is appropriate for OHSP to purchase twenty foreign-made training motorcycles using Federal grant funds because the cost of domestically produced products is twenty-five percent more than the cost of the foreign-made products. However, NHTSA finds that a non-availability waiver of the Buy America requirements is inappropriate for the lease of a copy/printer/fax machine.

Livin' Lite RV, Inc.(Livin' Lite), a wholly owned subsidiary of Thor Industries, Inc. (Thor), has determined that certain model year Livin' Lite RV trailers manufactured between November 7, 2008 and September 10, 2013, do not fully comply with paragraph S9 of 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 and paragraph S10 of FMVSS No. 120, Tire Selection and Rims and Motor Home/Recreation Vehicle Trailer Load Carrying Capacity Information for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of more than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds). Thor has filed an appropriate report dated November 7, 2013, pursuant to 49 CFR part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports.

Grote Industries, LLC (Grote), has determined that certain Grote bulk nylon air brake tubing manufactured during the period December 2013 to March 2014 does not fully comply with paragraph S11.2 of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 106; Brake Hoses. Grote has filed an appropriate report dated June 13, 2014, pursuant to 49 CFR part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collections and their expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was published on May 12, 2014 [NHTSA-2014-0049 Volume 79, Number 91, pages 27047 and 27048].

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) on behalf of itself and its parent company Daimler AG (DAG), has determined that certain model year (MY) 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class (X204 platform) multipurpose passenger vehicles (MPVs), do not fully comply with paragraph S5.1.1.6 \1\ of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) No. 108, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment. MBUSA filed an appropriate report dated October 9, 2012 pursuant to 49 CFR Part 573 Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports. MBUSA then filed a petition for exemption from the notification and remedy requirements of 49 U.S.C. 30118 on the basis that the defect is inconsequential to motor vehicle safety. We are denying this petition because we believe that the noncompliant parking lamp is not inconsequential to motor vehicles safety.

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) has determined that certain model year (MY) 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport multipurpose passenger vehicles (MPV) do not fully comply with paragraph S6 of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. FMVSS 205, Glazing Materials. MMNA has filed an appropriate report dated April 3, 2014, pursuant to 49 CFR part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports.

This document initiates rulemaking that would propose to create a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS), FMVSS No. 150, to require vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication capability for light vehicles (passenger cars and light truck vehicles (LTVs)) and to create minimum performance requirements for V2V devices and messages. The agency believes that requiring V2V communication capability in new light vehicles would facilitate the development and introduction of a number of advanced vehicle safety applications. Some crash warning V2V applications, like Intersection Movement Assist (IMA) and Left Turn Assist (LTA), rely on V2V-based messages to obtain information to detect and then warn drivers of possible safety risks in situations where other technologies have less capability. Both of those applications address intersection crashes, which are among the most deadly crashes that U.S. drivers currently face. NHTSA believes that V2V capability will not develop absent regulation, because there would not be any immediate safety benefits for consumers who are early adopters of V2V. V2V begins to provide safety benefits only if a significant number of vehicles in the fleet are equipped with it and if there is a means to ensure secure and reliable communication between vehicles. NHTSA believes that no single manufacturer would have the incentive to build vehicles able to ``talk'' to other vehicles, if there are no other vehicles to talk toleading to likely market failure without the creation of a mandate to induce collective action. Through this ANPRM, and through the accompanying technical report, ``Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communications: Readiness of V2V Technology for Application,'' NHTSA presents the results of its initial research efforts. In this report, NHTSA has done a very preliminary estimate of the costs of V2V and the benefits for two V2V-based safety applications, IMA and LTA, for addressing intersection crashes and left-turning crashes, respectively. The report also explores technical, legal, security, and privacy issues related to the implementation of V2V. NHTSA seeks comment on the research report, and solicits additional information, data, and analysis that will aid the agency in developing an effective proposal to require new light vehicles to be V2V-capable. By mandating V2V technology in all new vehicles, but not requiring specific safety applications, it is NHTSA's belief that such capability will in turn facilitate market-driven development and introduction of a variety of safety applications, as well as mobility and environment-related applications that can potentially save drivers both time and fuel.

General Motors, LLC (GM) has determined that certain model year (MY) 2011, 2012 and 2013 Chevrolet Volt passenger cars sold with windshield sunshades as a ``Limited Personalization Option,'' do not fully comply with paragraph S4.3 of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. FMVSS 302, Flammability of Interior Materials. GM has filed an appropriate report dated August 27, 2013, pursuant to 49 CFR part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports.

General Motors, LLC (GM) has determined that certain model year 2013 Cadillac XTS passenger cars do not fully comply with paragraph S9.1.1 of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment. GM has filed an appropriate report dated May 16, 2013, pursuant to 49 CFR part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports.

KBC America, Inc. ``KBCA'' has determined that certain motorcycle helmets manufactured by KBC Corporation for Harley-Davidson as Harley-Davidson brand helmets do not fully comply with paragraph S5.6 of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 218, Motorcycle Helmets. KBCA has filed an appropriate report dated December 12, 2013, pursuant to 49 CFR part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports.

On August 20, 2013, NHTSA published a final rule amending its Early Warning Rule (EWR) with an effective date of August 20, 2014. On July 28, 2014, NHTSA published a rule which, in part, attempted to delay the effective date of the provisions until January 1, 2015. However, the information in the DATES section of the July 28 rule did not adequately project that action. This document corrects that error.

This final rule announces NHTSA's determination that there are no new model year (MY) 2015 light duty truck lines subject to the parts-marking requirements of the Federal motor vehicle theft prevention standard because they have been determined by the agency to be high-theft or because they have a majority of interchangeable parts with those of a passenger motor vehicle line. This final rule also identifies those vehicle lines that have been granted an exemption from the parts-marking requirements because the vehicles are equipped with antitheft devices determined to meet certain statutory criteria.